While it might not be true wine, monkeys do consume, quite deliberately, fermented fruit juice found in the wild.

A theme of monkeys and wine drew me to a hike in the Affental, not far from Baden-Baden, Germany. A possible translation of Affen-tal, is Monkey Valley. Wine from this area is duly bottled with a monkey embossing the front of the bottle. I had often wondered about this somewhat incongruous mascot, and a visit to the local cooperative, Affentaler Winzer, provided an opportunity to taste the local wines, and learn more about the viticultural history and practices of the area. The short hike gave me an opportunity to wander through the vineyards of Affental.

Of the two connected wine-themed trails in the village, the Rotweinpfad (Red Wine Trail) is the shorter, but also the steeper. Climbing through vineyards, the trail reaches the small chapel of Fatima. It is not at the summit, but nonetheless, this lovingly maintained chapel is in a beautiful and tranquil setting. Take time to enjoy it, and catch your breath for the rest of the ascent.

 

Spring had sprung in this village. Not only was the chapel decked with flowers, but several spots had banks of early blooms on display. After a cold, grey winter, these are always a heart-warming sight along the trail.

 

The highest point of the trail is at the spot known as Heisser Stein (Hot Stone). A nice hut is here, and predictably, the views over the vineyards, and out across the Rhine River Valley, are amazing. Unfortunately, there was no definitive answer in the area as to why this spot is called Heisser Stein. Presumably, the stone here stays (comparatively) warm more often than not, which could help the vines. But like the “monkey” in the valley name, this name also remained a mystery.

 

Downhill from here, the trail wound through vineyards, and returned past a chapel of an old cloister courtyard. Surely the religious here worked in viticulture: the little chapel has two saints flanking the entrance. The one on the left has a bunch of grapes, and could represent Saint Urban, a patron saint of vintners.)

 

The trail ends by returning on the southern side of the village of Eisental, in the neighborhood of, and on a street appropriately named, Affentaler. One final climb, and the trail returns to the center of the village of Eisental, where the Rotweinpfad ends, and the Rieslingweg begins. To be continued…