Schloss Ortenberg traces its origins to 1300, when the citizens of Offenburg founded a hospital and hospice; vineyard donations followed in the early fifteenth century, and wine has financed the institution in one form or another for over six hundred years. It is one of a handful of great German estates that are publicly owned (in this case jointly by the city of Offenburg and the Ortenaukreis). The 45 hectares in the Ortenau are run with fastidious care by the dynamic Matthias Wolf; the vineyards are cultivated sustainably, in conversion to organic certification. The estate eliminated cork entirely in 2004, early by German standards. Their Sauvignon Blanc and Spätburgunder from the granitic and red-sandstone sites show why Baden's northern sub-regions deserve closer attention. The estate also employs people with disabilities in its vineyards, a commitment Wolf considers as much a part of the operation as winemaking.