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Trip to Germany - Printable Version

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- chittychattykathy - 08-27-2000

I am setting up my trip to Germany, and have so far contacted a few well-known, main-stream, wineries about visits. I'd like to add to those a few "hidden jewels" type wineries that any of you have had the enjoyment of visiting while there. Location is not key at this point, as other then flying into Munich (non-wine related event) not much of the trip is planned out yet. Will most likely be heading over to Alsace first and then go back into Germany and continue inward/upwards.


- Bucko - 08-27-2000

If you are going to Alsace, by all means stop at Domaine Weinbach. The all-female winery is making stunning wine, plus they are a joy to meet in person.

Bucko


- Innkeeper - 08-27-2000

In Oppenheim be sure to stop by Weinbau Heinrich Noll. Peter Noll will treat you well. You'll have to taste everything from the Oppenheimer Krotenbrunnen to the Oppenheimer Mittelgewann Spatlese, predict you'll fall in love with their Oppenheimer Herrenweiher Kabinett. They are located in the center of the village, and will be happy to take you up the hill and show you the herren (frog) in the weiher (well).


- Thomas - 08-27-2000

Bucko, you Devil--all female, indeed.

The guy you need to get a response from is Scoop. He lived in Germany--speaks German too--and has a great knowledge of the areas and their wines. Send him an email Chitty-----.


- chittychattykathy - 08-27-2000

All female sounds very cool, but perhaps not for the same reasons for me as for you gentlemen. It sounds like a great visit, we'll add it to my list. (Perhaps a winery owned by a group of young, attractive brothers?) (Make that young, attractive and single. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/wink.gif[/img] )


- winoweenie - 08-27-2000

CCK, Is that like in Batchelor? WW


- Scoop - 08-28-2000

CCK:

First, I'm envious.

Second, even though it's not immense by US standards, the German wine regions are numerous and cover a bit of ground. So, it would be helpful to know where you'll be -- or where you want to be. The Rheingau is very nice this time of year -- harvest festivals and the like start soon (centered around Ruedesheim, a cute, but touristy town near Mainz), and the scenery and vineyards are gorgeous, perched on cliffs overlooking the Rhine (with southern exposure, of course). It was, in the past, the center of quality in German wine-making, and after some decades in the wilderness, it's being rediscovered by a new generation of wine-makers. I need to do some research on some good operations to visit, however. Steve Miller at Lauber Imports in New Jersey would be a good source.

In Rheinhessen, Heyl (near Nierstein) is a very good producer, and worth a visit.

And if you cross from Alsace into Baden, there are some good producers in and around Offenburg, at the foot of the Black Forest.

Do remember that, as a general rule, the smaller the winery, the less English is spoken (though you'll probably get by fine).

Cheers,

Scoop


- hotwine - 08-28-2000

I'm turning green, too! We're going to try to get back over there in the next few months.
CCK, two places I consider not to be missed are Bernkastel on the Mosel and Kloster Eberbach on the Rhein. Bernkastel is the center of the Mosel region, and is a charming quaint little town that's loaded with weinstubes (wine bars) and wonderful restaurants. Kloster Eberbach is a 12th century nunnery in the Rheingau that is now the home of the German Wine Academy. The wines produced there are not expensive. Not too far along the Rhein is the Rose Hotel, a very romantic place to hide out for a few days (but also pretty expensive).

Our tastes now run to the wines of the Mosel, so that's where we would spend our time. Tours by river barge are available virtually everywhere, so take your time and really enjoy yourself. If you're leaving soon, you might be able to participate in the grape harvest; most vineyards will gladly compensate you for your day's labor with lunch and a bottle of wine.

As Scoop said, it would really help if you could carry on a casual conversation in German. Although all western Germans have studied English in school, they really appreciate visitors going to the trouble to try to speak their language.

Wieder-bye-bye (as the young ones have been known to say). And enjoy your trip.
Gil


- chittychattykathy - 08-28-2000

Scoop,
Thanks for responding. Still not really set on regions, or even our route, so info like yours is really going to help in making some of our choices. After talking with some folks at a wine event today am now looking at maybe: Munich-Zurich-Strasbourg-North Italy. A bit of a change from my original route. Can add stops here or there within that basic route. Maybe even fitting in Austria as I have an importer that tells me they are "the" nicest folks in Europe. Have opportunities for staying in Champagne as well, but think that is too far West. We've 14 days to fit it all in and want a fairly slow pace. My last trip, to France, was 9 days and covered all the main wine regions, a true working trip! Rheingau would be nice to spend some tourist time in as I do not want to be "working" the whole trip. My next question is would you, (meaning all of you, all ideas considered) rather spend more time in Germany or Northern Italy? I do speak (three years of classes) some German, and my gal-friend is fairly fluent in French. So I am hoping we'll do fine for most of the trip, in even the smaller villages. Italy is another thing though! Please, let the ideas flow as I need to buy tickets and set dates up this week. Many thanks to all, Kathy

[This message has been edited by chittychattykathy (edited 08-28-2000).]


- chittychattykathy - 08-28-2000

Hotwine,
Will add your places to the planning list. (I was writing my Scoop reply and came back to see yours. ) I think that we will just have missed most harvesting? I'm heading over the second week of October. That would be rad to be even a small part of the grape harvest though.


- hotwine - 08-28-2000

Yup, you'll be late for the primary harvest. But you might still get to observe the later harvests of the premium fruit, so be sure to ask around.

You have the time, so it wouldn't be difficult to include both the Rheingau and Mosel Valleys in Germany, and the vineyards of northern italy, in this single trip. I'll defer to others for specific recommendations in Italy; my trips there never included the grape-growing regions, unfortunately.


- Zinner - 08-28-2000

CCK
All of us are green-eyed! Especially if we've been to Germany which I think also has some of "the" nicest people, some of them the vintners there.

My suggestion would be to get a copy of the current Gault Millau German Wine Guide(hope that's the title, can't find my English language version). It's written by Armin Diel, who is both a winery owner and journalist and Joel Payne, an American journalist who's lived in Germany for years.

If you go to Kloster Erberbach(which has very nice accomodations within it, by the way), then Weingut Robert Weil is nearby. Wilhelm Weil is very nice to look at and oh so charming, but I can't vouch whether he's single or not. Your're on your own there!

As for the wineries, there are so many wonderful ones---Fritz Haag, Schloss Lieser, Dr. Loosen, Reinhold Haart, Von Hovel, Franz Kunstler, Von Kesselstatt, Gunderloch, Reichsrat Von Buhl, Dr. Burklin-Wolf--well, you get the idea. I spent about 10 days just in Germany last trip and didn't get to half that I wanted to visit.

But I tend to do trips that cover less territory than you propose because I hate to spend too much time in the car just going from one place to another. I like having time to stop and chat with the locals.

The German Wine Information Bureau in New York would have booklets on the regions and festivals and such. I don't have the info at my desk(trying to get off on a shorter trip myself now) but I'll be back in a week or so and will look then if you still need contact info. They shouldn't be hard to find.


- Scoop - 08-29-2000

I'm a bit biased, but September is a (generally) a great month to be in southern Germany, and it's certainly in striking distance from Strasbourg. The German Wine Information Office in NY is also good suggestion. Italy would take you pretty far south. And, of course, you speak some German!

But I'm sure there are many who would argue the case for Italy...

Cheers,

Scoop


- chittychattykathy - 08-30-2000

Scoop,
Tryed to email you, but address is defunct? What do you, (or others) think of the route I have kinda set (above)? (Thing about Italy is I've a set up at a wineries very sweet villa, hard to pass up. ) We would take an overnight from Strasbourg to Italy as to not miss daylight. I really want to add Bernkastel to the stops, where do you think it would fit best? Am buying tickets tomorrow, so any last minute ideas will be welcome!!! Thanks to all, Kathy


- Scoop - 08-30-2000

I've had some problems with my e-mail server, CCK (which I hope are resolved).

If you really want to do the Mosel thing -- it too is very picturesque, not to mention the many fine producers, delicate wines -- you have essentially two routes to consider from Strasbourg. Explore either 1) going from Strasbourg via Saarbruecken to Trier (a very nice city that was a major Roman outpost, and a great place from which to access the Mosel wine region); or 2) train it from Strasbourg up the Rhine to Koblenz (where you would access the valley from the northern end). You might need to consult Bundesbahn schedules/prices before you make up your mind.

The train ride from Mainz to Koblenz is gorgeous.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Scoop


- hotwine - 08-30-2000

K, it looks like you'll be going to Strasbourg from Frankfurt, no? That is, taking the train from the airport station, in the basement below the terminal? If so, you could change that slightly by going from the airport to Bernkastel, then stopping in Strasbourg on your way to Italy. Scoop is right-on about Trier, if you can fit it in; it's about 2,000 years old, and was the capital of the Roman province of Gaul. Fascinating place. (But then, all of Germany is fascinating!) The airport station is very efficient, and should be able to route you however you wish to go. Check the automated ticket dispensers and their displayed maps.
(I haven't tried looking up the German Railroad - Deutche Zugbahn - on the 'net, but would be surprised if the whole system isn't laid out there. Will do some surfing and post later if lucky.)
Gil


- hotwine - 08-30-2000

K, a quick search on AltaVista for German+Rail+System turned up over a million hits, the first of which is at uwinnipeg.ca/~oberle/bahn.html and has a good description of the Deutsche Budesbahn (its proper name, versus Zugbahn). Browse the site and you'll find a map of the rail network.


- hotwine - 08-30-2000

(To the Germans out there: Sorry 'bout that, for misspelling Deutsche Bundesbahn yet again.)


- chittychattykathy - 08-31-2000

Bought the tickets...
Am now flying into Munich, picking up a car and staying a couple of day there. Then we will head to NE Italy, Friuli area, for a day or two, and to Verona for three or four days. Now our longest drive, the drive up to the Mosel where we'll stay three days & do three days in Alsace as well. From Alsace we go to Champagne for two days and then Paris for the last two days. (Drop the car off, as we don't need it there, and fly out of Paris. ) Quite a change from my original trip but it's what worked the best for what each of us want to see. I want to thank you all for the great ideas, I have set up appointments for some of the wineries that have been suggested, and have been set up to stay at some other wineries as well. I know it's going to be the best trip that I've been on, so far!!! K


- Scoop - 09-01-2000

That's quite a plan! I would perhaps stop in Alsace first (since it's closer from Italy), then go to the Mosel, followed then by Champagne (since it's not far from the Mosel valley), etc. But you are the Master of you wine destiny.

I look forward to a full report!

Gute Reise,

Scoop

P.S. The Paulaner Keller in Munich, not too far from Marienplatz, is great for traditional Bavarian dishes (as well as tasty suds).