Casorzo
Monferrato: Hilltop Village
The Pfalz: Forest, Vines and Castles
Wachenheim and Wachtenburg
Monferrato: Vineyards and Villages
Window on the Pfalz
Gallery March 2017
Monthly Archives: March 2017
Marching Through Winter in Italy
There is nothing like Italian sunshine to chase away the winter blues. And in vineyards in March, the sun melts the snow faster, and the vineyards begin to show hints of life earlier, making a March hike through the Piedmont countryside a true delight.
Add to this the opportunity to taste a light, sweet wine, with sweet summer berry flavors, and dreams of summer flood the senses. In this case, the wine was Malvasia, and the countryside was around the Piedmont village of Casorzo, homeland of the DOC Malvasia di Casorzo.
Wine Notes: Monferrato Varietals
What I Learned
The Monferrato wine district lies within Italy’s Piedmont wine region. The DOC system recognizes various unique varietals and some interesting wine production techniques. The wines from here are not only high quality overall, but also closely related to the land and the history of this district.
Sentiero del Malvasia: Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Sentiero del Malvasia
Trail Type:
Mid-distance; paved in the urban area, dirt, loam or grass in other parts; somewhat maintained, but the route itself is not well marked.
Length: Total – 10 kilometers/ 6 miles
Convenient to: Asti, or Casale Monferrato, Italy
Marking:
Rectangular sign with red and white stripes overwritten “2” (or not)
A Riesling Tour
If there is any grape that wine-lovers consider the quintessential grape of Germany, it is Riesling. German Riesling is unique, with fairly high natural acidity (that mellows nicely over time), a great fruity character, and yet generally speaking, a light and refreshing wine. So, coming across a hiking circuit trail in the Pfalz, by Wachenheim in the Mittelhaardt wine district, I decided to hike it, and experience some of the Rieslings from local producers.
This hike, like the wine, was unique and easy to do, with just enough elevation to get the heart going. Like the wine, it could be a fun trail to hike with friends on an early summer day, although I was there in winter, which was fine too. Being a circuit, one could begin anywhere, but I began at the north end of Wachenheim, so that I would have the climbs out of the way first, and the wine-tasting opportunities later.
Wine Notes: Pfalz Mittelhaardt Rieslings
What I Learned
Riesling is without a doubt the iconic wine of Germany. According to the Deutsches Weininstitut, German vineyards supply approximately 50 per cent of the Riesling worldwide! The Riesling grape does particularly well in the German climate: It will ripen more slowly than many other varietals, and obtain optimal sugar levels in the cool, and often overcast German summers. German winters in the grape-producing regions tend to be cold with some snow, but rarely frigid, and relatively short – thus providing an ideal dormant period for the vines. Every German wine region grows this varietal. But the Mosel and the Pfalz, consistently harvest the most of it. In fact, Riesling currently represents 20 percent of all wine produced in the Pfalz.
Rieslingtour: Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Rieslingtour (AKA: Weinwanderrundweg 10)
Trail Type: Short distance circuit; much is paved, some hard-packed earth, some stairs: well maintained, but the route itself is only fairly marked.
Length: Total: @8 kilometers/ 5 miles
Convenient to: Bad Duerkheim, Neustadt or Mannheim, Germany
Marking: A “10” in black, on a round white background
