High Above Klausen
Kloster Saebens from Below
Vineyards on a Nearby Slope
Eisack River, Sudetirol, Italy
Detail: Kloster Saebens
Narrow Valley and Steep Mountains by Klausen
Gallery May 2023
Tag Archives: hiking Italian wine trails
Gallery September 2022
Fig and Cypress Trees
To the West: The Upper City of Bergamo’s Towers
Quiet Stream on the Trail
Town of Gavarno-Tribulina
Scene of Valcalepio Vineyards
Rustic Bridge
Trail for the Ages
At my trailhead in a grass-covered valley, I bemoaned the fact that right at the start, I faced a somewhat steep incline. A toddler liberated from his stroller didn’t mind though, and seemed inclined to head into the woods and toddle up the trail behind me. Passing through deeply forested hillside, a couple of churches, then vineyards, I came to a narrow country road at the top of the hill. Up from an even steeper slope, came a man on a bicycle. He stopped at the top of the hill, as did I, to check the map. We got to chatting. He was a native of Bergamo, which I could see in the distance. He was an avid cyclist. He was 78. I was deeply impressed, and slightly shamed by my earlier whining about steep inclines. His hill was long and steep, coming up from the valley. I decided his great stamina must be due to a life-long exposure to the wines of Valcalepio.
Wine Notes: Bergamo
What I Learned
There isn’t a Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) named Bergamo, in honor of one of northern Italy’s large cities, rather the wines produced locally in and around the city are known as the Valcalepio Denomination. The Valcalepio DOC wines are produced from grapes grown mostly north of Bergamo, east of the Adda River (coming out of Lake Como), to west from the Oglio River (coming from Lake Iseo). (This last incidentally, is also the boundary which meets up with the Franciacorta DOC.) This denomination only has about 800 hectares of land under vine. The wines from these vineyards only gained appellation status in 1976, so in addition to being relatively small, this appellation is also relatively new.
Strade del Vino: Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Strade del Vino; Full name: Escursione Lungo le Strade del Vino (Excursions along the Wine Routes)
Trail Type: mid-distance; maintained in most places, variable paved and unimproved surfaces, marking on the trail only occasional
Length:
Total – 11 kilometers/6.8 miles
Convenient to: Bergamo, Italy
Marking:
A red horizontal bar superimposed over a white one. See Comment below!!!
Gallery June 2022
Narrow Lanes of Moleto
Distant Mountains
Monferrato Village
From Hot to Cold in a Glance
Bio-Diversity with Diversions
If your vineyard hike is not chosen with care, you could end up on a trail that is just that: nothing but vines. While it is good for wine education trails (which are legion, but rather short), it can be less than enthralling for hikers. I am pleased to report that this month’s trail was full of bio-diverse flora, landscapes, views, and even had two very different settlements, a village and a hamlet, to enjoy.
I began in Moleto, a hamlet devoted to art, whose Italian and foreign artists live in residence. The hamlet bills itself as a sort of open-air museum. The wall of art is the first thing to notice. This hamlet had an annual arts festival, ArtMoleto, (before the pandemic), and its artists attracted some attention region-wide. There is a local bar, with a gorgeous location overlooking the valley, and a lovely restaurant in the local cantina. Unfortunately, both attractions were closed that day. Forewarned is forearmed – this hamlet can be deserted at times.
Wine Notes: Piedmont’s Monferrato Reds
What I Learned
The Monferrato region in northern Italy has a long tradition of wine-making, pre-dating even the Romans. As the famous Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder noted, the Romans greatly appreciated the wine coming from the Muscat grape cultivated in the Monferrato as a varietal more resistant to cold weather.
Today, the Monferrato is one of Piedmont’s wine production districts. 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 indigenous to this area in some cases. I think it one of Italy’s more unknown and underrated wine districts.
Valle dei Frati: Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Valle dei Frati; AKA: CAI 746
Trail Type: A short distance circuit trail; well-maintained and almost exclusively hard-packed surfaces, from tarmac to grassland, although there were a couple of small muddy grassland spots; the trail is fairly well marked.
Length:
Total – 8 kilometers/4.97 miles
Convenient to: Casale Monferrato, or Asti, Piedmont, Italy
Marking:
Red and white horizontal (or vertical) bars, and/or words “CAI 746” (Also see featured photo above.)
Gallery December 2021
Picture Perfect Alpine Scene
Sondrio: Renaissance-style Courtyard
On the Trail: Alpine Waterfall
Triasso: Quiet Square
Looking up the Valley: Sondrio