The Germany/ South and Alsace Tour 2020 by ombiasy WineTours was fully booked but had to be cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Starting on May 15, Annette issued short posts on facebook briefly describing what we would have done on that day had the tour taken place, using pictures from previous tours.
I am re-posting these short daily accounts along with a general introduction to the tour here on my blog.
Germany/ South and Alsace Tour 2020 by ombiasy WineTours
Germany is so closely identified with Riesling (and yes, it is the largest producer of Riesling world-wide) that you may be surprised to learn that the country is also very strong regarding the Burgundy grapes. It is the third-largest producer of Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder), the largest producer of Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder), and the second largest producer of Pinot Gris (Grauburgunder) in the world. Join us as we discover the southern German wine regions that produce bone dry, opulent Rieslings, outstanding Pinot Noirs and whites from Burgundy grapes. We will step across the Rhine River to compare the wines of the Eastern (German) and Western (French) Rhine valley and we will get a feel for the beautiful, quaint Alsace region with its incredible picturesque wine villages dotted with half-timbered century old buildings. Enjoy the Pfalz, the second largest German wine region by growing area and only topped by Rheinhessen, which it borders to the north. From there, the Pfalz stretches to the French border 53 miles to the south and borders Alsace. In this region French and German vineyards melt into one another and some wineries on the French side own vineyards in Germany and vice versa.
For detailed information on the tour schedule, please check: https://ombiasypr.com/index.php/wine-tours/germany-south/germany-south-alsace-itinerary
For pricing and registration, please go to: https://ombiasypr.com/index.php/wine-tours/germany-south/germany-south-alsace-registration
Germany/ South and Alsace Tour 2020 by ombiasy WineTours: Day 3
Annette Schiller: Today (Sunday, May 17) is Day 03 of the 2020 Germany South & Alsace Wine Tour organized by Ombiasy Public Relations and Wine Tours
Since the Pandemic forced me to cancel the tour I will go on the journey mentally and I will share this tour with you.
We would have spent the night in Schifferstadt at the cosy Hotel Salischer Hof with its charming half-timbered architecture. We now leave the Rheinhessen wine region, cross over the Rhein river into the Baden wine region. Baden is with 40,000 acres under vine Germany's 3rd largest wine region. It has a somewhat odd layout with 9 distinctively different districts due to the very different terroir. Baden's wine region basically straddles for 240 miles along the right bank of the Rhine river from Heidelberg to the Swiss border. Lying primarily in the Rhine rift with the protection of the Alsatian Vosges Mountains to the west and the Black Forrest to the east, Baden’s climate is the warmest in Germany. 50% of the vineyard area is planted with Burgundy grapes, almost 50% is red wine.
Our first stop today would be at Weingut Sven Nieger to the south of Baden-Baden, belonging to Baden's Ortenau district, planted predominantly with Riesling. Sven belongs to the young generation of winemakers, sometimes called the "enfants terribles" of the German wine scene because they follow their very own ideas. After some years of sampling experiences abroad he founded his own winery in 2012. The single vineyard Rieslings are powerful, and he shows a sensitive touch for Pinot Noir.
Lunch time is approaching and we we all grab some wine bottles and head out to the vineyards where we would have enjoyed a wine pairing luncheon with Sven and his friend Farid Fazel, renowned chef from Baden-Baden. By the way: the weather today, on Sunday, May 17 was just beautiful. What a shame, that we had to miss out on this vineyard lunch.
In the afternoon we would have just traveled some miles south to meet Robert Schaetzle, owner and winemaker of Weingut Schloss Neuweier. Differences could not have been bigger between our previous visit: here we are at a historic estate where wine making started some 700 years ago. Robert focuses on Riesling and they grow in the steep (60%) vineyards Schlossberg and Mauerberg which were terraced in historical times. The very special microclimate here is the basis for the fresh, minerally, racy wines with excellent aromas of citrus and tropical fruit.
We get sleepy after eating, drinking, tasting and learning and I am sure that everyone will welcome the 1 1/2 hour bus ride to the Boutiquehotel am Stadtgarten in Freiburg where we will spend the night.
schiller-wine: Related Postings
Announcement: Upcoming ombiasy Wine Tours 2020 - (1) Alsace and Germany South, (2) Rhône Valley, (3) Bordeaux and (4) Germany: Christmas Market, Wine, Concert Tour
Reminder: Rhône Valley Tour by ombiasy WineTours in June 2020
Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2019)
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour (and Lunch) with Robert Schätzle, Owner/ Winemaker, Weingut Schloss Neuweier in Baden - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours