Trail Name: Au Travers du Vignoble de Cahors (AKA 1)
Trail Type: Short-distance bicycle circuit; well-maintained with hard (paved or packed earth) surfaces; marking for this itinerary is very good.
Length:
Total – 6.3 kilometers/3.9 miles
Convenient to: Cahors
Marking:
Very well marked, if following clockwise, by rectangular green and white signs with a white stylized bicycle and rider, and a named trail sign in black lettering at the start. (See comments.)
The vines were still bare, but spring was on the way. Those famous April showers were watering the early spring flowers, the only splashes of color on that wet spring day. Nevertheless, rain or shine, the word “Vougeot” conjures up so much of the magic of Burgundy and its wines, that I had to complete the eponymous hike: Autour du Clos de Vougeot.
What I Learned:
The Cote de Nuits refers to the northern half of Burgundy’s famous Cote D’Or (Golden Slope). (Whereas the southern half is known as the Cote de Beaune.) The northern, Cote de Nuits, section runs from south of Dijon to just south of Corgoloin in Burgundy.
There are eight villages/towns that fall within the Cote de Nuits growing area. The Grands Crus, the most prestigious vineyards, are well known because the most renowned have their names attached to the village they lie in. The village of Chambolle cites one of its most prestigious vineyards, Musigny, in its name – hence the village has become known as Chambolle-Musigny. Another nearby village-vineyard combination includes Morey-Saint Denis. But perhaps the most famous village, Vougeot, has no such hyphenated name. Its Grand-Cru is called Clos de Vougeot, in reference to the famous monastery vineyard. The wines from these Grands Crus are usually highly esteemed.
Trail Name: Autour du Clos Vougeot
Trail Type: An easy, short circuit trail, mostly hard packed or tarmac surfaces, fairly well maintained, with some signage along the route.
Length:
Total – 8.5 kilometers/ 5.25 miles
Convenient to: Dijon or Beaune, France
Marking: Yellow rectangles/bars, and the occasional named trail sign. See also the featured photo of trail signage above.
Continue reading Autour du Clos de Vougeot: Trail in a Nutshell
It snows in many wine making regions. Maybe not as much as it snows in New England over the past couple of weeks, but it does snow, especially in the Sued Tirol and Alsace. Snow and cold temperatures are actually beneficial for vines, even if it is less than optimal for hiking. Thus, I found myself in Alsace two years ago, ready to hike, but wishing I’d brought my snowshoes.
The trail was called Parcours du Vigneron, a 13-kilometer hike through the vineyards on the slopes surrounding the small town of Rosheim. The vineyards, as well as the well-preserved town walls and gates, and some impressive Romanesque architecture, are the chief attractions of the town. This cleverly designed trail, provides ample opportunity to admire it all, and from a couple of different perspectives.
What I Learned
Rosheim and Ottrott are small, but significant wine villages. Both these communes lie in the Bas Rhin department, in the Molsheim canton, in the northern part of Alsace.
Northern Alsace has a great viticultural and vinicultural tradition. Six main white varietals grow throughout Alsace: Riesling, Silvaner, Gewuerztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and the only red varietal: Pinot Noir.
Alsatian Pinot Noir wines tend to be lighter, but very fruit-forward Pinot Noir wines. They are, of course, different from Burgundian Pinot Noir wines, from which tradition they derive. Early in the 12th century monks from Burgundy headed into Alsace, bringing vine plantings with them.
Trail Name: Parcours du Vigneron
Trail Type: Mid-distance circuit; well-maintained with mostly hard (paved or packed earth) surfaces; signage for this itinerary mostly good.
Length:
Total – 13 kilometers/8 miles
Circuit du Terroir : 8 kilometers/5 miles
Circuit du Savoir Faire : 5 kilometers/3 miles
Convenient to: Strasbourg, France
Marking: Trail name in black letters, on a white rectangular background with a line drawing of a vintner.
