Tag Archives: Hiking and Biking European Wine Country

Germany, Hiking

In Rebland

 

“Rebland” marks the start of Ortenau’s “grape-land” south and west of Baden-Baden. This is wonderful vineyard country. From the villages of Varnhalt to Steinbach to Neuweier are some of the well-known named vineyards ranged along (usually) sunny slopes: the Altenberg, Sommerhalde, and Klosterbergfelsen by Varnhalt, the Stich den Buben by Steinbach/Umweg, and the Mauerberg and Goldenes Loch in Neuweier.

The Nellenberg is the hill rising above Varnhalt. Covered with vines, this great little town is famous locally for its wine. Rising above the Nellenberg is Yberg mountain, crowned by a castle, which has astounding and far-ranging views of this part of the Rhine River Valley. Around the other side of these hills is Neuweier, with its palace and famous vineyards.

Castle and Mountain of Yberg
Castle and Mountain of Yberg

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Germany, Wines

Wine Notes: Baden/Ortenau

 

What I Learned

Within Baden’s Ortenau wine district, there are several distinct wine areas. One of these is known as Rebland  (literally, grape-land), located just south of the famous spa town of Baden-Baden, and north of Buhlertal. The steep hills offer a nice western and sometimes southerly exposure. These hills, which protect the grape-bearing slopes from too much wind, and the relatively mild and sunny climate, make this one of the best areas for growing grapes in Germany.

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Germany, Hiking, Nutshell

Nellele Rundweg: Trail in a Nutshell

 

Trail Name: Nellele Rundweg

Trail Type: Short distance circuit; often paved, the remainder is hard-packed earth, well maintained, the route is very well marked.

Length: total: 7.2 kilometers/4.5 miles

Convenient to: Baden-Baden, and Karlsruhe, Germany

Marking: A purple-pink circle on a white background.

Signage for the Nellele Rundweg
Signage for the Nellele Rundweg

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Austria, Hiking

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.

Zum Figmueller Sign
Zum Figmueller Sign

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Austria, Wines

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.

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Austria, Hiking, Nutshell

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

Signage Stadtwanderweg 5
Signage Stadtwanderweg 5

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France, Hiking

Wine and the Dentelles

 

What do the Dentelles de Montmirail and Gigondas wines have in common?  In my mind, both are compelling and chiseled. The explanation is a bit further below. First, some definitions of terms used.

What are the Dentelles? A scientific explanation would go into the creation of limestone, and then into a discussion of plate tectonics and fault lines. Together, these geological forces created sharp ridges of jagged, limestone peaks rising over 500 meters. A photograph is much more impressive though.

Dentelles
Dentelles

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France, Wines

Wine Notes: Gigondas

 

What I Learned

Wines from France’s southern Rhone Valley are quite popular. However, within that geographic area, and distinct from the Rhone appellation, there are distinct appellations singled out for their exceptional quality. Gigondas wines merit both their own appellation and the praise they evoke. Powerful and distinctive, they have a unique taste due in large part to the unique geology of the area.

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France, Hiking, Nutshell

Gigondas: Trail in a Nutshell

 

Trail Name: Not named officially

Trail Type: Short distance circuit; paved in the village, loose stone, and uneven, rocky and earthen surfaces otherwise. (These are mostly dry, and can be slippery in places). The trail is somewhat maintained, but the route itself is neither named nor consistently marked.

Length: Total: (Approximately) 6.5 kilometers/ 4 miles

Convenient to: Orange, or Avignon, France

Marking: Initially red and yellow rectangular lines, then blue dots and/or yellow rectangular lines.

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Germany, Hiking

Enchanted Villages, Enchanting Land

 

Somewhere between Sasbachwalden and Kappelrodeck on the Ortenauer Weinpfad, a sense of enchantment steals over the landscape. The early morning fog, sometimes all-enshrouding, sometimes like wisps of steam from simmering cauldrons, rises from still pools, or solitary copses, magically parting of its own accord to reveal a landscape seemingly suspended in a long-ago time. Such is this region of the Black Forest.

Out of the Mists: Ortenberg
Out of the Mists: Ortenberg

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