Trail Name: Tauberschwarzweg
Trail Type: Mid-distance circuit trail; well-maintained and about half is paved, the other surfaces are grass and earthen; marking on the trail is somewhat good, but a map is strongly advised.
Length: circa13 kilometers/8 miles (See comments below)
Convenient to: Wertheim, or Wuerzburg, Germany
Marking: The capital letter “D”
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, a trail’s face changes with the seasons. While this is undoubtedly true for the Ihringer Winzerrunde West trail, even as I hiked it in early February, it seemed more a trail of the Spring, and for good reason: the Kaiserstuhl is consistently one of the warmest, if not the warmest area in Germany.
To be honest, I was not looking forward to seeing the trail’s winter face for a couple of reasons. First, the Ihringer Winzerrunde West trail has several inclines, as it passes through vineyards, which in addition to being sited on elevations formed by ancient lava flows, also has an extensive system of terraces throughout the area.
What I Learned
The Kaiserstuhl is a wine district within the German wine region of Baden. Baden has a large number of wine districts, and with almost 4300 hectares (over 10,500 acres), it is the largest of all nine wine districts in Baden.
This district is one of the warmest sites in Germany, with some of the highest average temperatures and the highest average hours of sunshine per year. In this district, the vines are planted mostly in terraces, mostly on south facing slopes of the Kaiserstuhl, maximizing exposure to the sun in this already sun-drenched (relatively speaking) district. Another interesting aspect of this district is its base. It is volcanic, as this whole area was once one giant volcano. A layer of loess lies on top of the remnants of the old volcanic lava, which seems to retain heat to an amazing degree. The cuts in the terraces reveal incredible depths of the light-colored loess layer.
Trail Name: Winzerrundweg West
Trail Type: Short distance circuit; well maintained and almost exclusively paved, marking on the trail good, but not foolproof
Length: 9 kilometers / 5.6 miles
Convenient to: Breisach or Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
Marking: Red rectangular signs with the trail name in white letters (See the featured photo above)
If, as King Henry IV famously stated, “Paris is worth a Mass”, then he also likely said: Givry is worth a glass. It was his favorite wine. As I hiked along the trail that meandered past its clos and vineyards, and strolled along its streets, I had reason to see why.
The stroll through town showcases some of its beautiful old buildings. Erected during different eras, they are all made of the amazing limestone that is so typical of many Burgundian buildings. Once out of town and in the vineyards, clos walls are made of the same material, albeit in January covered by moss and lichen in a colorful winter coat.
What I Learned
The town and township of Givry, surrounded by vineyards, lies in the sub-region of Burgundy known as Cote Chalonnaise. In this area, which also includes neighboring Dracy-le-Fort and Jambles, different appellations are in effect. From lower to higher on the quality scale they are the appellation of Bourgogne, the appellation of Cote Chalonnaise, and the appellation for the Givry. In addition to the Givry village appellation, there are similar village appellations for nearby Mercurey, Rully, and Montagny-les Buxy. While some experts opine that Mercurey consistently produces the highest quality wines of these four villages, Givry runs a close second. Both produce mostly red wines from Pinot Noir grapes. Montagny-les-Buxy produces exclusively white wines from Chardonnay grapes. Givry produces only about ten percent white wine, but these wines can sometimes provide discerning tasters an unusual licorice note.
Trail Name: Decouverte Nature de la Cote Chalonnaise (to give it the full name)
Trail Type: mid-distance circuit trail; fairly well-maintained and very diverse trail surfaces, marking on the trail overall fairly good in some places, but missing in others
Length:
Total – 10 kilometers/6.2 miles
Convenient to: Chalon-sur-Saone, France
Marking: Varies, (G2, G3, and in one section red and white bars) but key spots are identified by location posts, and any or all of the above markings.
German wine is well known. As are German woods and forests: The Odenwald, and the Black Forest (Schwarzwald, in German), to name a couple of famous ones. So, when I found a circuit trail entitled Wein und Wald Runde (roughly translated as Wine and Woods Circuit), I really looked forward to cycling it.
What I Learned
In the German region of Wuerttemberg, a lot of wine is produced. Much of it grows on steep hillsides facing the Neckar River, but some of it is produced in the valleys of its main tributaries. Wuerttemberg is a hilly state, with well-drained, sun-facing slopes in many districts. The vines and orchards compete to cover slopes in Wuerttemberg’s wine district of the Untere Neckartal (also known apparently as Wuerttembergisches Unterland), near Heilbronn, in southern Germany.
Continue reading Wine Notes: Wuerttemberg’s Untere Neckartal
Trail Name: Wein & Wald Runde (Wine and Woods Circuit) (AKA: SB3)
Trail Type: Mid-distance cycling itinerary circuit; well-maintained, with much of it paved, and well-marked, along most of the itinerary route
Length:
Total – 28 kilometers/17.4 miles
Convenient to: Heilbronn, Germany
Marking: SB3 and trail name letters in white on a colorful square metal sign
