Tag Archives: Franconia

Germany, Wines

Wines Notes: Franconian Steigerwald

 

What I Learned:

Kronsberg, Julius Echter Berg, and the Kuchenmeister are three well-known vineyards in the Iphofen-Roedelsee area, the most famous perhaps being the Julius Echter Berg, named after a 16th Century Wuerzburg Prince-Bishop. (He served as the ruler of a large area within the Holy Roman Empire in Franconia, which he managed rather well.) It was during his lifetime that the Silvaner vines entered Franconia (the first documented record of it locally being in the Castell archives), and some of its best expressions come from the mineral-rich Gipskeuper soils (components shale, gypsum, anhydrite and rock salt) unique to the area around the Schwanberg, around which the three vineyards lay. This geological component, along with the influence of a continental weather pattern, can result in outstanding white wines some years.

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Germany, Hiking

Steigerwald Weinwanderweg: Trail in a Nutshell

 

Trail Name: Steigerwald Weinwanderweg

Trail Type: Long distance; almost exclusively paved or at least hard-packed surfaces, well maintained, fairly well marked.

Length: Total: 42.75 kilometers/ miles

Convenient to: Kitzingen, Bavaria, Germany

Marking: Green grapes on a white background, scored through by a wavy red line

Signage: Steigerwald Weinwanderweg

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Biking, Germany

Cycling the Bocksbeuteltour

 

A Bocksbeutel is such a distinctive type of wine bottle that words fail me when it comes to describe it. So, I turned to the internet and found in Wiki: “a flattened ellipsoid.” (Try to remember that from geometry class.) Better yet, because “a picture is worth a thousand words,” I photographed a bottle.

A Bocksbeutel

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Germany, Wines

Wine Notes: Franconian Steigerwald

 

What I Learned:

There are three distinct wine districts in the Franconian Wine Region: The Mainviereck, the Maindreieck and the Steigerwald. Vineyards here can face more challenges than elsewhere in the region. While the first two districts follow along the Main River, the Steigerwald wine district does not. This means that the climate-moderating effects of a river do not apply. Additionally, the highest vineyards in the Franconian wine region lie in this district, some at almost 400 meters above sea level. Therefore, the elevation, as well as the distance from the Main River means that spring weather effects can come later, and fall weather effects can come earlier, and have more impact, than elsewhere in this wine region.

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Biking, Germany, Nutshell

Talauen-Radweg: Trail in a Nutshell

 

Trail Name: Talauen-Radweg, T-6; – (See also Bocksbeuteltour AKA Bocksbeutelrunde below)

Trail Type: Middle distance; well-maintained and almost exclusively paved, marking on the trail good

Length:

Total – 26 kilometers/16 miles

Convenient to: Neustadt (Aisch) (about 35 miles northwest of Nuremberg), Bad Windsheim, Germany

Marking:

Sign Talauen Radweg 6

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Germany, Hiking

A Wine Trail in Winter

 

Be prepared is the scout’s motto. And when winter hikers (like me that day) do not heed that advice, there can be unanticipated results, but fortunately friendly help can save the day. It was in the thirties and overcast when I began my drive to this hiking trail. Two hours later, it was below freezing and snowing, definitely not the spring weather I optimistically decided would certainly prevail in March. I decided to start the hike anyway, and arranged to meet a friend for lunch in Handthal, about midway to Breitbach from Gerolzhofen.

To be clear, the Weinsteiger trail itself-its condition, its signage, even its itinerary-was quite good. I intend to return someday to complete the itinerary, and enjoy the sights and adventures on offer along the trail. The issue was my lack of preparation for the weather, which can be colder, due to the elevation and exposure, than other parts of Franconia.

Gasthaus in the Vineyards

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Germany, Hiking, Wines

Wines Notes: Franconian Steigerwald

 

What I Learned:

The Franconian Wine Region in Germany has three distinct wine districts: the famous Maindreieck passing Wuerzburg, the Mainviereck, and the Steigerwald. Unlike the first two, the Steigerwald wine district is not located along the Main River. This means that the climate-moderating effects of a river do not apply here. And since here is in south-central Germany, winter weather can last for longer, with spring weather arriving later, and fall weather arriving earlier, than elsewhere in this region.

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Germany, Hiking, Nutshell

Weinsteiger: Trail in a Nutshell

 

Trail Name: Weinsteiger

Trail Type: Long distance; well-maintained and almost exclusively paved, marking on the trail

Length:

Total – 42.5 kilometers/26.4 miles

Segment Covered Here – @19.5 kilometers/ 12 miles*

Convenient to: Kitzingen, Schweinfurt, Germany

Marking:

Square with the word “Weinsteiger” in black on a white background, with a smaller square composed of light and dark green beneath the word. Sometimes seen on directional signs as well.

Signage: Weinsteiger

 

Directional Sign, with Weinsteiger Logo

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