Trail Name: Sur les Pas de Gambert
Trail Type: Short distance circuit; surfaces vary from paved to rutted dirt to pebble on stone, mostly maintained, and fairly well marked.
Length: 4 kilometers/ 2.5 miles
Convenient to: Vienne or Lyon, France
Marking:
Yellow rectangles indicating direction of travel
White panels, with a large black colored number, QR code and photo collage of Louis Gambert
Continue reading Sur les Pas de Gambert: Trail in a Nutshell
Attention wine drinkers: This trail is for you.
Most of the wine- or vineyard-themed trails I have followed focus on seeing particular terroir or grape varieties, or learning about the vinicultural processes involved in making a regional wine. But one trail along the foothills of the Hessische Bergstrasse wine region though, seems to focus on enjoyment of the final product, that is to say, drinking the wines themselves. And given the name of the trail, the Winzer und Weinstuben Tour, (the Vintner and Wine Bar Tour), that is not surprising.
What I Learned
The Hessische Bergstrasse is one of the smallest wine regions in Germany, with less than 450 hectares of land under vine. Facing onto the Rhine River valley, with the Odenwald mountains and forest at its back, the weather here is milder than in most other places in Germany. The name of the region comes from the “mountain road” (Berg Strasse) that the Romans built along the foothills. Roman roads often had relay stations, small forts and taverns to serve officials and soldiers as well as travelling merchants. And where Romans resided, they often planted vines for wine. So, the first evidence of viticulture dates to 2,000 years ago.
Trail Name: Winzer und Weinstuben Tour
Trail Type: Short distance trail; on almost exclusively paved bike paths or roads, well maintained, but the route itself is not marked.
Length: 19 kilometers / 12 miles
Convenient to: Darmstadt or Heidelberg, Germany
Marking: None
Continue reading Winzer und Weinstuben Tour: Trail in a Nutshell
The sea, hiking and wines are three of my favorite things to experience. However, it is not always easy to find a place where waves meet the vines. It is rarer still to find well-marked and maintained trails in such spots. Serendipitiously though, it is possible to savor all three in Collioure.
A recent trip to the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France led to the town of Collioure, a little gem of a town. Set on a beautiful bay, it is famous for its narrow, atmospheric streets in the old town, leading to one of its old forts. It is also famous for its wines. The vineyards surrounding the town produce wines both for the AOC Collioure and for the Banyuls AOC. Finally, it has some delightful trails through the hills and vineyards for hikers and mountain-bike riders to enjoy.
What I Learned
The Appellation d’Origine Controlee (AOC) Collioure centers around the town of Collioure. (Within this area, vintners also harvest grapes for the AOC Banyuls, a Vin Doux Naturel (VDN) fortified like port, but that is another topic.)
AOC Collioure focuses traditionally on red wines, Grenache Noir predominates, but Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault and Carignan are also grown. But hot weather, and a diet laced with seafood, often calls for a lighter wine, vice a hearty red. Accordingly, this AOC allows production of rose wines. Interestingly, in a rose cuvee, vintners may add up to 30% Grenache Gris.
Trail Name: Vignoble de Collioure
Trail Type: Short distance circuit; well-maintained and mostly hard surfaces (paved or hard-packed), with some rocky areas, good marking on the trail
Length: Total – 9.6 kilometers/ just short of 6 miles
Convenient to: Collioure, Perpignan, France
Marking: Yellow rectangles on the trail, reinforced with signposts identifying the exact location. (See the white lettering on top of the post.)
At this point on my hike along the Wi Wegli, I had no doubt that years from now, all my wine-themed hiking experiences considered, the Wii Wegli in the southern Baden wine region, will rank in my top three. This long-distance hiking trail provided a delightful hiking experience as well as a great tasting experience in one. From south (by Basel, Switzerland) to north (by Freiburg) great experiences awaited over every hill, and in every village. By the time I reached Muellheim, I had not realized that some of the best were yet to come.
I left Niederweiler, overshadowed from on high by the ancient Celtic, Roman and medieval edifices of Badenweiler, and climbed an equally formidable slope on the other side of the village, the Roemerberg. The climb was mostly through vineyards. Emerging from the forests that crown the top of the Roemerberg, beginning the descent, I spotted the village of Britzingen. Like so many of its neighboring villages, it is set in a hollow, following along a rushing mountain stream, and surrounded by green. However, the full magical effect of these discoveries came shortly afterwards as I wandered through eerily still Muggardt, the sole lane winding up through the hamlet on its way to vineyards.
