View of Southern Ticino
Tremona, Switzerland
Meride, Switzerland
A Traisental Country Lane
Scene on the Korkenzieher Trail
Traisental Grape Varietals
Bergkapelle, Traismauer
Gallery April 2017
Tag Archives: Austria
No Corkscrew, No Wine!
The Traisental is the newest and smallest Austrian DAC region, and one I had never heard of. I decided therefore to visit the region’s trails and wineries. I quickly identified a great trail, the Korkenzieher. Korkenzieher is “corkscrew” in German, and the name of this trail derives from a monumental corkscrew rising above the vineyards, with a viewing platform overlooking much of the Traisental vineyard area. Perfect for a wine-themed hiking trail through this region!
Wine Notes: Austria’s Traisental
What I Learned
The Traisental DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus) is in Lower Austria (Niederoesterreich), south of the Danube river and its Wachau and Kremstal wine regions. Vineyards are on either side of the Traisen river valley. It boasts three claims to fame: the smallest, the oldest, and the newest!
Korkenzieher: Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Korkenzieher Themenweg
Trail Type: Short distance; variable surfaces, i.e.: leaf and grass, hard-packed earth, and paved; mostly well maintained, but the route itself is not marked.
Length: total: 7 kilometers/ 4.4 miles
Convenient to: Traismauer, Sankt Polten, Austria
Marking: None
Gallery December 2016
Ridge Above Gigondas
Gigondas and Beyond
Dentelles and Mont Ventoux
Corner of Gigondas
Vines Above Gigondas
Country Lane, Stammersdorf
Stammersdorf, Church
Mistletoe
Winter Vines
Old Cellar
On the Falkenberg
Wien und Wein
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.
Wine Notes: Vienna
What I Learned
Vienna is the only European capital with vines grown within its city limits. While the Romans were here, definitive proof that vines were located inside the walls, in the current First District (the area around the Hofburg and the cathedral), dates only to the late Middle Ages.
Nowadays, there are three primary vineyard areas within the city, (and two other areas, by Sievering and Oberlaa). The Bisamberg, east of the Danube, centering around Stammersdorf and Strebersdorf. Wine growing in Stammersdorf, on the Bisamberg, began in the 12th century. The terroir here favors the Pinot family of grapes.
Stadtwanderweg 5: Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Stadtwanderweg 5
Trail Type: Mid-distance; almost exclusively paved with paving stone or tarmac, well maintained, and very well-marked.
Length: Total: 10.3 kilometers/ 6.3 miles
Convenient to: Vienna, Austria
Marking: (Mostly) Wooden signs with the words: Stadtwanderweg 5
Gallery May 2016
Old Wine Cellar, Hoeflein
Vineyards outside Hoeflein
Cabotte
Detail, Hotel-Dieu, Beaune
Historic Center, Beaune
Carnuntum Past and Present
Farming, believed to have arisen about 13,000 years ago, started with grains and vegetables. Later, vines were cultivated, and wine produced, about 7,000 years ago. Nowadays in Austria’s Carnuntum region, wind is being harvested in the same fields that made Pannonia famous for its grains in earlier times. Fortunately, there are a lot of vines as well. And the local district tourism office has developed a series of hiking and biking routes to show-case them.
