Deviating from my normal routine of hiking in the countryside, I recently completed a wine-themed walk in Porto called the Urban Wine Route (Rota Urbana do Vinho, in Portuguese). But this route has a big caveat! Formerly developed by city authorities, the tourist offices no longer have it listed as an itinerary to complete! My confusion deepened when I found a map of it though, among tourism brochures in the Museum of Port. That brochure, along with my online research, gave me enough information to follow it, so I did.
Trail Name: Urban Wine Route (Rota Urbana do Vinho)
Trail Type: Short distance, meandering walk, set in an urban environment. The route itself is not marked directionally, but does include distinctive explanation markers at many of the relevant monuments.
Length: Total: Circa 5 kilometers/ circa 3 miles
Convenient to: Porto, Portugal
Marking: Square metal plaques embedded in the sidewalk by sites on the itinerary
In a brilliant tour de force, the regional authorities in the department of Bas Rhin, Alsace, have done much to promote wine tourism in this often-overlooked corner of the Alsatian Wine Route. In addition to an up-to-date wine cooperative (and shop with liberal hours), featuring some of its local Grand Cru wines, they have developed a series of wine-themed hiking circuits. There are four circuits, ranging from 17 kilometers to 13.6 kilometers. These circuits all share at least one section. To hike the outside edge of them all results in a hike of 35 kilometers. My kind of tourism. So I selected the circuit that went closest to the cooperative: the Loejele Circuit.
As this is a circuit, it is possible to begin anywhere along it, but I chose Wangen because it was closest to the highway. It is a small village, but one with its medieval walls still partially intact. In fact, my start took me out one of the gates, past the cemetery and into the vineyards in rapid succession.
“Rebland” marks the start of Ortenau’s “grape-land” south and west of Baden-Baden. This is wonderful vineyard country. From the villages of Varnhalt to Steinbach to Neuweier are some of the well-known named vineyards ranged along (usually) sunny slopes: the Altenberg, Sommerhalde, and Klosterbergfelsen by Varnhalt, the Stich den Buben by Steinbach/Umweg, and the Mauerberg and Goldenes Loch in Neuweier.
The Nellenberg is the hill rising above Varnhalt. Covered with vines, this great little town is famous locally for its wine. Rising above the Nellenberg is Yberg mountain, crowned by a castle, which has astounding and far-ranging views of this part of the Rhine River Valley. Around the other side of these hills is Neuweier, with its palace and famous vineyards.
Two words to know if travelling to Vienna: Wien, the German name for the city, and Wein, the German word for wine. Although they look similar, a transposition of the vowels makes the two diphthongs sound very different, which imparts very different meanings – important to keep in mind when ordering some of Vienna’s delicious wines. Wine is everywhere in Vienna.
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.
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.
