Charlemagne brought wine to Ingelheim, and I followed a trail to Ingelheim, wine, and Charlemagne. Thus, in one fell swoop, I managed to satisfy my wine, hiking, and early medieval history passions in this small town on a partly sunny afternoon.
The Carolingian and earlier Merovingian times in Western Europe have always interested me. So when I heard about the wonderful exposition of the remains of one of Charlemagne’s favorite palaces, I had to visit. In addition to a highly focused and informative museum on the palace, the great signboards at exposed walls throughout the town, and outlines in stone of once-extant huge palace structures, help bring the old palace alive, as it was in Charlemagne’s time.
What I Learned:
Of all the German states, Rheinland Pfalz has the most wine regions. And of all the German wine regions, the Rheinhessen wine region is the largest. Situated 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.
The area round Ingelheim is known for its Spaetburgunder, or Pinot Noir. Most recent figures from the German Wine Institute show that white varietals represent about 63% of all cultivated vineyards, not unsurprising in a country where Riesling is king. However, more red varietals are being planted as the years pass, and of these, Spaetburgunder, Pinot Noir, leads the way with an impressive 11.5% of all red varietals in cultivated vineyards.
Rather than referring to the cost of the wine here (although some quality producers offer great Rheinterrassen wine at very reasonable prices), today’s post title refers to the Song of the Nibelungen, that epic poem of feasts with wine, hosted by powerful kings with brave knights, and a fearless slayer of dragons guarding vast treasures.
The poem (later adapted and set to music in Wagner’s Ring Cycle), tells of the life and death of the dragon-slaying hero Siegfried, and his relationship with the Burgundians. Much of the action takes place in and around the city of Worms “on the Rhine”, which is home to the court of the Burgundian king Gunther and his wife and queen Brunhild. (It is also now home to several sculptures of dragons, commemorating this facet of the poem.)
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.
