Horizons of Prosecco-land
San Pietro in Barbozza
The Cartizze Area
Dramatic Formation in the Cartizze
Rotenberg
Vines in the Kraichgau
Schloss Eichtersheim in Waldangelbachtal
Gallery June 2018
Tag Archives: biking
White Gold in Baden
Anyone fortunate enough to be in Germany in late April, May or the first half of June, has undoubtedly experienced “Spargel Saison”: Asparagus Season. These are not your ordinary asparagus spears! They are round, and fat, and so fresh-looking as to be unreal. They are ethereally white, and they have a dainty crisp-tenderness that defies description. They can also be extremely expensive, with the first local spears starting at around $30 for a kilo (2.2 pounds). It is the white gold of the vegetable world (excepting hops shoots, which relate to beer so we won’t go there) – ranking up there with other costly edibles such as white truffles and saffron.
Come Asparagus Season, traditional dishes such as asparagus cream soup (many variations, but all delicious), and steamed asparagus spears with herbed crepes (or steamed potatoes) and hollandaise sauce, make their seasonal appearance on menus across the country, but especially in the Rhine Valley. Suggested wine pairings include Baden’s Gutedel, and Franconia’s Silvaner wines.
Weisses Gold und Traubensaft: Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Weisses Gold und Traubensaft
Trail Type: A medium-distance, themed bicycle circuit; almost exclusively paved, well maintained, but the route itself is not marked.
Length: Total: 49 kilometers/ 31 miles
Convenient to: Heidelberg, or Karlsruhe, Germany
Marking: None
Continue reading Weisses Gold und Traubensaft: Trail in a Nutshell
A Tasting Trail
Attention wine drinkers: This trail is for you.
Most of the wine- or vineyard-themed trails I have followed focus on seeing particular terroir or grape varieties, or learning about the vinicultural processes involved in making a regional wine. But one trail along the foothills of the Hessische Bergstrasse wine region though, seems to focus on enjoyment of the final product, that is to say, drinking the wines themselves. And given the name of the trail, the Winzer und Weinstuben Tour, (the Vintner and Wine Bar Tour), that is not surprising.
Winzer und Weinstuben Tour: Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Winzer und Weinstuben Tour
Trail Type: Short distance trail; on almost exclusively paved bike paths or roads, well maintained, but the route itself is not marked.
Length: 19 kilometers / 12 miles
Convenient to: Darmstadt or Heidelberg, Germany
Marking: None
Continue reading Winzer und Weinstuben Tour: Trail in a Nutshell
Discovering Valle d’Aosta
Recently, I visited a quiet corner of Italy. That is almost a contradiction of terms nowadays, and often difficult to find in the summer. Seeking a refuge in the great outdoors, free from crowds, I came across a bike ride through vineyards in Aosta Valley. Since I had never been there, I decided to make the trip. What a trove of new discoveries of all sorts!
Tour dei Vigneti: Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Tour dei Vigneti
Trail Type: Short to medium distance bicycling trail; almost exclusively paved, well maintained, but the route itself is infrequently marked.
Length:
Segments – 1.5, 3.5, 5, 5.5, 8 and 10 kilometers
Total – 10 kilometers/ 6 miles
Convenient to: Aosta, Italy
Marking: Green rectangular Sign with white lettering “Tour dei Vigneti” and a number
Rhine Cycle Route – Upper Middle Rhine: Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Rheinradweg (German)/Rhine Cycle Route, also known as Eurovelo 15
Trail Type: Long distance cycling trail; This segment is completely paved, well maintained, and much of it follows a dedicated trail for bicycles. The specific route marking is not always easy to see, but bike signs to the next town/destination are abundant. (Otherwise, just go with (or against) the flow, literally.)
Length:
Total: over 1200 km/circa 760 miles
Segment: circa 45 km/ 30 miles
Convenient to: Bingen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
Marking:
Continue reading Rhine Cycle Route – Upper Middle Rhine: Trail in a Nutshell
Luxembourg’s Velo Vinum
Little country, big sparkling wines, and a mid-sized bike trail. Luxembourg, tucked between Germany, France, and Belgium, is a small jewel of a place. It has taken the best of French and German wine-making and culinary practices, and incorporated them into its own. This is especially true of its sparkling wine production techniques.