From the Rhine to the Wine

I loved this trail even before I rode it. The name says it all. And what could be better than an afternoon on the Rhine, with a glass of wine in hand?

The Suedliche Weinstrasse in the southern Pfalz is one of my favorite regions in Germany. It is a small area, bounded by the Rhine to the east, and the Haardt Mountains to the west, with little wine villages studding the countryside in between. Therefore, this trail covers it all for cycling families looking for the quintessential wine-themed bike ride in Germany.

From the Mountains, to the Plains
From the Mountains, to the Plains

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Wine Notes: Suedliche Weinstrasse

What I Learned

Wine has been produced in the Pfalz since Roman times. This is especially true around Speyer. Formerly the site of a small Roman fort, as it grew, so did its wine production. As witness to this local wine production, in 1867 an intact bottle of wine was found locally in the sarcophagus of a fourth century A.D. Roman official. It was the only one of ten (!) to have withstood the ravages of time. It is now on display in the State Historical Museum in Speyer.

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Vom Rhein Zum Wein: Trail in a Nutshell

Trail Name: Vom Rhein Zum Wein

Trail Type: Middle distance bicycle trail; almost exclusively paved, well maintained, and well-marked.

Length: total: 31 kilometers/19.25 miles

Convenient to: Speyer, Germany;

Marking: Profiles of Speyer cathedral and two cyclists in white, on a green rectangular background

Rhein Zum Wein Signage
Rhein Zum Wein Signage

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A Classic Castle in Chianti

 

The name seemed familiar, one I thought I’d seen on a Chianti wine bottle label, which sports a colorfully dressed knight on horseback. So I followed the signs and found an impressive looking castle (now housing a hotel), a great wine shop, and a fabulous restaurant. Much to my delight, I also found another trail through an estate’s vineyards in Chianti territory! Trails are a rarity here. So, changing my shirt and shoes, along with my plans for the day, I seized the opportunity to follow another trail through a Chianti estate.

 

Scenic Corner, Castello di Gabbiano
Scenic Corner, Castello di Gabbiano

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Wine Notes: Chianti Classico II

 

What I Learned (Production: Style and Methods)

Chianti wine comes from the wine region of Chianti, south of Florence, in Tuscany. Chianti wine has been well-known for centuries. Nonetheless, it wasn’t until 1996 that the wine district of Chianti Classico was created. The current district boundary most closely approximates the geographic limits of Chianti wines identified by the Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1716. All modern day wines bearing the words “Chianti Classico”, must come from this designated area. (Look for the Black Rooster!)

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Vignamaggio: Paths to Enotourism Excellence

 

Beautiful Tuscany! The landscape, the people, the food, and of course the wine! And Chianti, the region and the wine, is what most people think of when they think of Tuscany. While opportunities abound to enjoy the food and the wine, there are precious few opportunities to experience the Chianti landscape, especially the terroirs of some of the better known wine areas, to walk them, to hike them, to see them from other than a car window, on your way to a winery, or a well-known town for a quick visit. Given the number of people I met on this trip that bemoaned the lack of well-established country walking opportunities, it appears there is a definite interest in trails (if for no other reason than to be able to walk off all those food and wine calories)!

That is why I was delighted to have identified trails on a recent trip to Chianti.  The estate of Vignamaggio, specifically, has developed three short trails that showcase their vineyards, forests and olive groves. This is a private initiative that could go far in promoting their efforts in eno-tourism.

Kitchen Garden, Vignamaggio
Kitchen Garden, Vignamaggio

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Wine Notes: Chianti Classico I

What I Learned (The Region and Districts)

Chianti is the area south of Florence and north of Siena, in Tuscany. The area is a large one. Forests, olive groves and vine dot the slopes of its many hills. In between are small towns with names widely known by travelers to Tuscany as iconic Chianti villages and towns: Radda in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti.

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Villa Vignamaggio: Trails in a Nutshell

 

Trail Name: Vignamaggio

Trail Type: Short distance, 3 interconnecting circuits; variety of surfaces from paved to hard-packed, or loose, gravel, to grass; maintained, and well-marked.

Lengths:

V0: about 1.7 kilometers / 1 mile

V1: about 3.4 kilometers / 2 miles

V2: about 3.5 kilometers / 2.25 miles

Total: roughly 8 kilometers / 5 miles

Convenient to: Greve in Chianti, Florence, Italy

Marking: Square blue/green signs with white letters: V0, V1, V2

Trail Marking for V1 and V2
Trail Marking for V1 and V2

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Hiking and Biking European Wine Country