View of Southern Ticino
Tremona, Switzerland
Meride, Switzerland
A Traisental Country Lane
Scene on the Korkenzieher Trail
Traisental Grape Varietals
Bergkapelle, Traismauer
Gallery April 2017
Monthly Archives: April 2017
No Corkscrew, No Wine!
The Traisental is the newest and smallest Austrian DAC region, and one I had never heard of. I decided therefore to visit the region’s trails and wineries. I quickly identified a great trail, the Korkenzieher. Korkenzieher is “corkscrew” in German, and the name of this trail derives from a monumental corkscrew rising above the vineyards, with a viewing platform overlooking much of the Traisental vineyard area. Perfect for a wine-themed hiking trail through this region!
Wine Notes: Austria’s Traisental
What I Learned
The Traisental DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus) is in Lower Austria (Niederoesterreich), south of the Danube river and its Wachau and Kremstal wine regions. Vineyards are on either side of the Traisen river valley. It boasts three claims to fame: the smallest, the oldest, and the newest!
Korkenzieher: Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Korkenzieher Themenweg
Trail Type: Short distance; variable surfaces, i.e.: leaf and grass, hard-packed earth, and paved; mostly well maintained, but the route itself is not marked.
Length: total: 7 kilometers/ 4.4 miles
Convenient to: Traismauer, Sankt Polten, Austria
Marking: None
Ticino Wine Trails
Itinerari Tra I Vigneti 3: Yet another wine trail in the Swiss Canton of Ticino for me to rave about. This one is a twin (actually a triplet) to the one I wrote about earlier: Itinerari Tra I Vigneti 1. (See it here.) Although the two trails share many characteristics, there are enough differences to make each uniquely enjoyable.
Itinerari 3 is a multinational trail! While the trail begins in Rancate, Switzerland, it weaves through the Italian village of Clivio, Italy, before returning to its start in Rancate. Thus, it provided me another opportunity to visit the Italo-Swiss lake region. This trail has water views, unlike the other trail which is set close to, but on the other side of the ridge from, Lake Como. An especially memorable view was from on high of Lake Lugano: a stunning blue gemstone set amidst a spring-green landscape. It was a surprise, a delight, and above all, an unforgettable treat.
Wine Notes: Ticino Wines
What I Learned:
Switzerland’s Ticino canton ranks as the fourth most important wine growing canton in Switzerland. The area of Monte San Giorgio, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Property, is particularly favored for growing grapes because of its microclimate, its hydrological characteristics, and especially its geology. From glacier sediment to marine sediment to clay, from limestone to bituminous schist to sandstone, the diverse nature of its soil results in ideal conditions for cultivating green grapes (mainly in the alkaline soils), and red grapes (primarily in the acidic soils.) In total, approximately 500,000 liters of wine comes from the Monte San Giorgio area alone each year.
Itinerari Tra I Vigneti 3 – Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Itinerari Tra I Vigneti 3
Trail Type: medium distance circuit; mostly paved, some path, mostly well maintained, and marked in some places.
Length: total – 16.8 kilometers/10.45 miles
Convenient to: Chiasso or Lugano, Switzerland; or Varese or Como, Italy
Marking: Purple stylized grapes on a light background. (May be seen in conjunction with white stylized grapes on a purple background – the marking for mountain bikes.)
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