Alsatian Countryside in Winter
Rosheim Beyond the Walls
Rosheim: Shutter Detail
Rosheim’s Vineyards in the Snow
Tree and Its Snow Shadow
Gallery February 2022
Monthly Archives: February 2022
Vineyards under Snow
It snows in many wine making regions. Maybe not as much as it snows in New England over the past couple of weeks, but it does snow, especially in the Sued Tirol and Alsace. Snow and cold temperatures are actually beneficial for vines, even if it is less than optimal for hiking. Thus, I found myself in Alsace two years ago, ready to hike, but wishing I’d brought my snowshoes.
The trail was called Parcours du Vigneron, a 13-kilometer hike through the vineyards on the slopes surrounding the small town of Rosheim. The vineyards, as well as the well-preserved town walls and gates, and some impressive Romanesque architecture, are the chief attractions of the town. This cleverly designed trail, provides ample opportunity to admire it all, and from a couple of different perspectives.
Wine Notes: Alsace’s Middle Bas Rhin
What I Learned
Rosheim and Ottrott are small, but significant wine villages. Both these communes lie in the Bas Rhin department, in the Molsheim canton, in the northern part of Alsace.
Northern Alsace has a great viticultural and vinicultural tradition. Six main white varietals grow throughout Alsace: Riesling, Silvaner, Gewuerztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and the only red varietal: Pinot Noir.
Alsatian Pinot Noir wines tend to be lighter, but very fruit-forward Pinot Noir wines. They are, of course, different from Burgundian Pinot Noir wines, from which tradition they derive. Early in the 12th century monks from Burgundy headed into Alsace, bringing vine plantings with them.
Parcours du Vigneron: Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Parcours du Vigneron
Trail Type: Mid-distance circuit; well-maintained with mostly hard (paved or packed earth) surfaces; signage for this itinerary mostly good.
Length:
Total – 13 kilometers/8 miles
Circuit du Terroir : 8 kilometers/5 miles
Circuit du Savoir Faire : 5 kilometers/3 miles
Convenient to: Strasbourg, France
Marking: Trail name in black letters, on a white rectangular background with a line drawing of a vintner.