Hills and hidden dales, fields and dark forests, quiet vineyards and orchards, the Ortenau wine region is quite enchanting. Set in the foothills of the Rhine-side of the Black Forest in the state of Baden, it has a long history of wine making. When I recently came across a wine-themed bicycling circuit, the Weinsagen (Wine Myths), I had to try it.
What I Learned:
Within the Baden wine region, there are several distinct wine districts. One of these is the Ortenau, ranging on the east side of the Rhine, between roughly the famous spa town of Baden-Baden and the town of Offenburg to the south. Between these two towns, on an undulating landscape, lies bucolic countryside, punctuated by picturesque wine villages. The rolling hills, which protect the generally south and west-facing vine-covered slopes from too much wind, and the relatively mild and sunny climate, make this one of the best areas for growing grapes in Germany.
Trail Name: Weinsagen Tour
Trail type: A medium-distance cycling circuit; mostly paved, some hard packed earth, well maintained and marked, albeit with only standard bike route indicators in some places.
Length: Total: 40.5 km/25 miles
Convenient to:
Baden-Baden, Baden-Wuertemberg, Germany
Strasbourg, Alsace, France
Little country, big sparkling wines, and a mid-sized bike trail. Luxembourg, tucked between Germany, France, and Belgium, is a small jewel of a place. It has taken the best of French and German wine-making and culinary practices, and incorporated them into its own. This is especially true of its sparkling wine production techniques.
What I Learned:
Little known, as not much is exported, Luxembourg’s wines are readily available and thoroughly enjoyed by residents and visitors in the Grand Duchy. For lovers of dry, white wines, this region provides some delicious, drier alternatives to Alsatian or Rhine white wines.
Trail Name: Velo Vinum
Trail type: Short circuit biking circuit; mostly paved, well maintained, albeit not marked
Length: circa 29 km /18 miles
Convenient to: Luxembourg, Luxembourg
In Stuttgart and seeking to escape city life for a few hours? Looking for somewhere close by, convenient to reach, yet with a real feel of countryside? The Stuttgart Wine Trail (Stuttgarter Weinwanderweg, in German) provides a convenient countryside escape, with wine and food stops, along an easy trail for young and old, residents and visitors alike. Best of all, it is easily accessible via the Stuttgart metro system, being only a few stops from the city’s center!
What I Learned:
The Remstal district is in the Rems River valley, located a few kilometers northeast of Stuttgart’s city center. With slightly over 600 hectares, the grapes here grow in soil that is 90% keuper (consisting of marl and limestone). Trollinger is the predominant varietal followed by Riesling, Kerner (a Trollinger and Riesling cross), Schwarzriesling (Pinot Meunier), Lemberger, Mueller-Thurgau, Spaetburgunder (Pinot Noir), Dornfelder, Portugieser, and Silvaner, in that order. The information about this area was provided by the Remstalkellerei, a wine cooperative (and wine shop) that makes and markets wines from this district in large amounts. (This is a popular winery whose products grace the shelves of many German supermarkets, especially in the Stuttgart area.)
Continue reading Wine Notes: Wuerttemberg’s Remstal-Stuttgart
Trail Name: Stuttgarter Weinwanderweg
Trail Type: mid-distance hiking circuit, completely paved, well maintained and very well marked.
Length: total: 11.5 km/7.15 miles
Convenient to: Stuttgart, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
