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.
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
