This year marks the 250th anniversary of the discovery of late harvest wine at Schloss Johannisberg. What began as a happy coincidence in 1775 changed German viticulture forever.
In the late summer of that year, a young grape courier set off from Schloss Johannisberg—then still a monastery—on his way to Fulda. His task: to obtain permission from the prince-bishop to harvest the grapes. For reasons that remain unclear to this day, he was delayed by two weeks. The result of this delay was groundbreaking: the birth of a new style – the Spätlese, as we know and appreciate it today.
To mark its 250th anniversary, Schloss Johannisberg is setting a special example: managing director Stefan Doktor is literally following in the footsteps of the legendary Spätlese rider. But unlike in 1775, when the journey was made on horseback, this time Doktor is pedaling – and completing the entire route on a racing bike. With a symbolic grape journey from Johannisberg to Fulda, he is bringing history to life and combining tradition with modern interpretation.
The “Spätlesereiter Tour 2.0” starts on Thursday, September 4, 2025, at Johannisberg Castle. In three stages, the approximately 180-kilometer route leads through the Rhine-Main area and on to the Hessian Spessart. It then continues through the Kinzig Valley to Fulda. The route involves climbing around 1,000 meters in altitude. A symbolic stop in Lieblos (Gründau) is also planned along the way – based on the depiction in the comic “Karl, der Spätlesereiter” by Apitz & Kunkel, which has their hero being attacked there.
The arrival in Fulda will take place on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at around 5:30 p.m. as part of the Fulda Wine Festival. Stefan Doktor will be welcomed in the castle courtyard by Mayor Dr. Heiko Wingenfeld. Together, they will examine and taste the grapes that have been brought along. The mayor will then use his cell phone to symbolically approve the 2025 harvest to Michel Städter, Schloss Johannisberg’s field operations manager and oenologist.
With this special journey, Schloss Johannisberg is commemorating the cultural significance of the late harvest and building a bridge between history, nature, modern viticulture, and sporting spirit.