What I Learned:
Off all the German states (or Laende), Rheinland Pfalz has the most wine regions. And of all the German wine regions, the Rheinhessen is the biggest. On the left/west bank of the Rhine, between roughly Worms and Mainz, it extends away from the river to as far west as Alzey-Weinheim, itself about 25 kilometers from the Rhine. In total, Rheinhessen vines cover approximately 26,000 hectares/65,000 acres.
Trail Name: Rheinterrassen route
Trail Type: Long distance; almost exclusively paved, well maintained, but the route itself is not marked.
Length: total: 50.5 km/31.5 miles
Convenient to: Mainz or Worms, Germany
Marking: Dark green and lighter green lines, and silhouetted town skyline, on a white background.
Like the bow of a great ship, the plateau above Vernou sur Brenne separated the waters of the Brenne and the Cisse rivers. And like a ship, the deck was laden with goods: In this case the plateau was planted extensively with grapevines. Being within the Vouvray appellation, all these Chenin Blanc grapes were destined to become Vouvray wine – one of the best known white wines from France’s Loire Valley.
The vineyards are not apparent from the center of the little town of Vernou. The old center huddles between the banks of the little Brenne and Cisse Rivers and the tufa cliffs behind the town. This is where this short and easy hike begins. Following the shady embankment along the Brenne, a short segment of the trail leads steeply up the cliff and onto the plateau.
What I Learned
Vouvray is a village, and with 7 other small villages, the name of a wine appellation in the Loire Region. Vouvray’s small area, only about 200 hectares or 5000 acres, belies its huge renown.
Just east of Tours, France, on the right (north) bank of the Loire River, the vineyards here face mostly south, sitting atop a bedrock of tufa. The soils here are a mix of clay and either flint or chalk – particularly well suited for Chenin Blanc vines. Vintners attribute these physical characteristics to the unique expression given by its Appellation Vouvray Controllee wines.
Trail Name: Entre Vignes et Patrimoine (Among Vines and Patrimony)
Trail Type: Short distance circuit; tarmac or hard-packed, well maintained, fairly well-marked, but a map will help. (Free brochure/maps available from regional tourist offices.)
Length: total: 6.5 kilometers or 8 kilometers/ 4 miles or 5 miles
Convenient to: Tours, France
Marking: Yellow lines, straight or bent to indicate direction
Continue reading Entre Vignes et Patrimoine: Trail in a Nutshell
FOUR wine districts, THREE wine regions, TWO rivers, and ONE valley – GO! It is all for the experiencing along Germany’s Taubertal on the wonderfully laid-out Wein Radreise Trail.
This long distance trail has six recommended stages (although I only biked stages 2, 3 and 4, from the famous Rothenburg ob der Tauber to Wertheim on the Main), and merges with other bike trails along the Tauber and Main Rivers, such as the Liebliches Taubertal, and the well-known Main Radweg. Combining these trails, you could easily spend a couple of weeks traversing much of the wine production areas of central Germany. Then, where the Main Bike Trail reaches the Rhine around Wiesbaden/Mainz, you could then follow part of the 800 mile-long Rhine Bike Trail either north or south… You get the picture: Germany can be a wine-loving cyclist’s paradise. Continue reading Three German Wine Regions By Bike
What I Learned
The Taubertal (Tauber (River) Valley) is a very diverse wine growing area. Following along the course of the river, upstream to downstream, you find 3 regions and 4 districts represented: Franconia’s Mainviereck District, Baden’s Tauberfranken District, Wuerttemberg’s Kocher-Jagst-Tauber District, and Franconia’s Maindreieck District. All this within about 120 miles of a fairly narrow river valley! The frequent district changes reflect the diverse soils and growing conditions in each region. Of course, these differences result in a variety of unique wines produced along the Tauber.
Name: Wein Radreise (Wine Bike Trip)
Trail type: Long distance trail; mostly hard-packed gravel or paved, well maintained and mostly marked.
Length: about 194 kilometers/120 miles
Convenient to: Heilbronn, or Wuerzburg, Germany
Marking: White stylized bicyclist with a wine glass on green background
My first question: does that translate as capitol or capital? The answer is capital. Second and third questions: what is a capital, and why are ten of them in vineyards? The answers to these questions became clear once I started hiking through the vineyards of Soave.
Continue reading Soave Classico and the 10 Capitelli Circuit
What I Learned
The town of Soave with its famous vineyards is located west of Venice, in a hilly landscape between Verona and Vicenza.
Soave wine tends to be a blend. The Garganega grape is the main grape found in its wines. Its juice will always comprise at least 70% of any DOC Soave wine. Trebbiano and Chardonnay can also make up the blend. Around the towns of Soave and Monteforte d’Alpone, Sauvignon Blanc is also cultivated. Decades ago, Soave’s unique white wine didn’t have the best reputation. All that has changed with a stringent adherence to the quality rules.
