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 4
Annette Schiller: Today (Monday, May 18) is Day 04 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.
Today we explore the Kaiserstuhl, one of the 9 sub-regions of Germany's Baden wine region. The Kaiserstuhl region is the warmest grape growing area in Germany and the soils consist of mineral-rich, chalky loess on top of volcanic subsoils. It is a breathtakingly beautiful region. Today we will delve into Germany's wines made from Burgundy grapes. The Kaiserstuhl produces gorgeous Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir). Did you know that Germany is the 3rd largest producer of Pinot Noir, the 1st of Pinot Blanc and the 2nd largest producer of Pinot Gris world-wide? We will have a busy day today with visits to three top estates.
Our first visit takes us to Weingut Bercher Arne Bercher in Burkheim, not too far from the French border. The roots of this estate go back to 1457. In 1756 they built the current Manor house with the vaulted underground cellar still in use today. The vineyards are mostly planted with Burgundy grapes (40% Pinot Noir).
We continue to Weingut Stigler in Ihringen. Same here, the majority is planted with Burgundy grapes, but Andreas Stigler loves Riesling and to experiment with non-traditional grape varieties such as Sauvignon-Blanc and Chenin Blanc.
Just across the street from Stigler there is a great restaurant "Holzöfele" where we have lunch. It is asparagus season in Germany and you can guess what we are going to have.
In the afternoon we are going to visit Weingut Köbelin Arndt Köbelin Weingut in Eichstetten. I got to know this estate through a friend of ours and when tasting my first Köbelin Pinot Noir I was hooked. Arndt built an ultra modern, puristic winery with a fantastic terrace guaranteeing for spectacular views on the vineyards and the Black Forest and Vosges mountains.
We return to our hotel in Freiburg and will have some time to think about all the wines we tasted and to explore this cosy town with the famous "Freiburger Münster".
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)
Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Stigler, Baden, with Andreas, Regina and Max Stigler - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours