Trail Name: Le Loejele (part of the trail series “Circuits de Bacchus”)
Trail Type: Medium distance circuit; partly paved, partly packed earthen trail surface; mostly well maintained; the route itself is marked very well.
Length: total: 14.6 kilometers/9 miles
Marking: Trace of a ring in yellow, with a white interior
What do the Dentelles de Montmirail and Gigondas wines have in common? In my mind, both are compelling and chiseled. The explanation is a bit further below. First, some definitions of terms used.
What are the Dentelles? A scientific explanation would go into the creation of limestone, and then into a discussion of plate tectonics and fault lines. Together, these geological forces created sharp ridges of jagged, limestone peaks rising over 500 meters. A photograph is much more impressive though.
What I Learned
Wines from France’s southern Rhone Valley are quite popular. However, within that geographic area, and distinct from the Rhone appellation, there are distinct appellations singled out for their exceptional quality. Gigondas wines merit both their own appellation and the praise they evoke. Powerful and distinctive, they have a unique taste due in large part to the unique geology of the area.
Trail Name: Not named officially
Trail Type: Short distance circuit; paved in the village, loose stone, and uneven, rocky and earthen surfaces otherwise. (These are mostly dry, and can be slippery in places). The trail is somewhat maintained, but the route itself is neither named nor consistently marked.
Length: Total: (Approximately) 6.5 kilometers/ 4 miles
Convenient to: Orange, or Avignon, France
Marking: Initially red and yellow rectangular lines, then blue dots and/or yellow rectangular lines.
The love of wine knows no boundaries, and vines know no political borders. Vintners on both sides of the French-German border in this northeastern-most corner of Alsace tend the land together, owning, or working, parcels on both sides, producing wines, and sharing a growing passion for quality wines. A wine-themed circuit hike here, developed by French and German regional and local tourism authorities, likewise shows a spirit of cooperation. This has produced excellent results, both in wine education, and in an easy, family-friendly hike through an historic French town, a quaint German village, and of course, vineyards.
This hike crosses the border between France and Germany twice. But before there was a border, there were vines. These vineyards, and many others both north and south of the border, belonged to the abbey in Wissembourg, in Alsace. And even though the abbey and the borders (for all practical purposes) have gone, the vines remain. Yet another reminder of the crucial, regional role abbeys and monasteries played in reviving viticulture in these areas after the fall of the Roman Empire.
What I Learned
The vineyards above the German village of Schweigen-Rechtenbach and the French town of Wissembourg have a viticulture history and a wine-making passion in common. Grapes have been cultivated for centuries. The vineyards in this area once all belonged to the Merovingian abbey in Wissembourg. Over time, these have become named, and a circuit trail passes through or by them. They are, from south to north: the Kammerberg, the Raedling, the Strohlenberg and the St. Paul, in France, and the Sonnenberg, in Germany.
Continue reading Wine Notes: Suedliche Weinstrasse and Bas Rhin
Trail Name: Circuit Viticole Transfrontalier (French) / Grenzuberschreitender Rundweg durch die Weinberge (German)
Trail Type: Short distance circuit; almost exclusively paved, well maintained, extremely well marked.
Length: total: 7 kilometers/ 4.3 miles
Convenient to: Karlsruhe and Landau, Germany
Marking: Red circle on white rectangular background
Continue reading Circuit Viticole Transfrontalier: Trail in a Nutshell
Amboise is a delightful town in the Loire River valley. It is also the center of one of the smallest appellations in the area, the Appellation Touraine Amboise Controlee. I finally had a chance to visit!
Amboise has a low-key, country town atmosphere. But there is nothing small about its attractions, which include a magnificent royal chateau, perched high above the river, a compact historical center, and the Clos de Luce, the final home of Leonardo Da Vinci. It is especially photogenic, set as it is along the impressively broad Loire, and against the backdrop of low green hills. Finally, there are the wines, notably the chilled Roses, especially appealing on warm summer days.
What I Learned
The Appellation Touraine Amboise Controlee, is a small appellation, in plots spread out over nine municipalities in and around the old town of Amboise. It covers about 200 hectares/500 acres, off both the left and the right banks of the Loire River.
Trail Name: Entre Vignes et Ramberge
Trail Type: Short distance circuit; almost exclusively paved, well maintained, and fairly well-marked marked.
Length: Total: 8 kilometers/5 miles
Convenient to: Amboise, France
Marking: Wooden plaques identify the trailheads (See above); Yellow lines, straight or bent to indicate direction, below.
Continue reading Entre Vignes et Ramberge: Trail in a Nutshell
