Destination of the Week

Germany - You'll want to move it WAY up on your wine and travel list

We don't hear as much about German wines as American, French or even Australian wines but, fact is, there are over a dozen wine regions in Germany producing unmatched Riesling and Gewürztraminer plus some relative unknowns like Rheingau and Spätburgunder (that's Pinot Noir) Ruländer (Pinot Gris) and, of course, renown eiswein.

The German wine regions are farther north than those of France and Italy - they actually roughly parallel Labrador - about 50 degrees north!  But the steep hills, many angled toward the south, give enough exposure to the sun to yield unique harvests . . . and hills opposite serve to protect the vines from harsh winds. The place to start is Mosel-Saar-Ruwer where villages along the Mosel River winds through steep slopes that create the special terroir that gives us these great wines.

There are plenty of places to stay along the way and you can taste a multitude of different wines and styles in a very short trip.

There's a "wine academy" tour available as well as a number of wine festivals.  Along the way, you'll see numerous castles and fortresses and, of course, The Black Forest is around you.

There are river cruises and, to a limited extent, biking. Of course, there's plenty of shopping and the wine tasting goes on and on.

As far as places to stay, there are hotels, of course, but more special, if you want to stay awhile is to seek out a rental property. There are a number of companies willing to help you. There are bed and breakfasts for shorter stays which are really cozy and let you get a true flavor of the area but, get this: there are B&B boats. What greater way to experience the vineyards rising skyward than from the river, itself.

You may want to have a beer or two, but, we promise, the experience calls for wine and the wines available more than measure up.

Wein und Gesundheit!