Lemberger is an important varietal in Wuerttemberg. Its red wine, especially when mixed with Trollinger, is a popular local beverage. Not surprisingly, a circuit bicycle trail in the northwestern corner of the state is devoted to it, and this is the story of that trail.
The trail has history too. Technically starting in an area known as the Kraichgau (not to be confused with the smaller wine district known as Kraichgau in the Baden wine region, with which Wuerttemberg shares this area), it has been an agricultural area for a long, long time. Its name Kraichgau, is believed to derive from the Celtic word for loam. The loamy soils are good for vines. Additionally, this area, and indeed the trail itself, is dominated by the Heuchelberg, a massive ridge with multiple peaks. Its steep slopes provide good drainage, and maximize sunlight on the vines ranging up its southern exposures. Kleingartach, one of the wine villages on the slopes of the Heuchelberg, has presumably had vineyards ever since its donation to the Carolingian Lorsch Abbey in the eighth century. And this is the village where the trail began.
What I Learned
One of the Wuerttemberg’s many wine zones in the Unterland district, the Heuchelberg, is located west of Heilbronn. The area is known as the land of 1000 hills, perfect for planting vineyards!
The Heuchelberg is a long mountain ridge in this area. Heavily wooded on top, its south- and west- facing slopes are well situated to catch the rays of the sun. Viticulture is one of several agricultural endeavors practiced here. (Grains, corn, and fruit trees are some of the other local products of the land.) Little villages nestle in sheltered contours of the ridge, and some, like Neipperg and Haberschlacht, are known as wine villages. The main towns (and wine centers) around the Heuchelberg are Eppingen, Schwaigern and Brackenheim.
Trail Name: Lemberger Tour
Trail Type: Mid-distance bicycle circuit; either hard-packed or paved surface, well maintained, and distinctively marked in some places.
Length: Total: 43.5 kilometers/ 27 miles
Convenient to: Heilbronn, Germany
Marking: A small square sign with a stylized red grape bunch, and the words “Lemberger Tour” in blue letters on a white background.
