Festivals on the German Wine Route
Weinfeste Between Landau and Neustadt an der Weinstrasse
The German Wine Route (Deutsche Weinstrasse) in the Pfalz wine region is known for its charming wine villages, wine festivals (Weinfeste), castles and Roman fortresses.
The German Wine Route starts in Schweigen-Rechtenbach at the French border and is symbolically marked by the Weintor (German Wine Gate). It winds it’s way for 85 km through picturesque villages along the Haardt Mountains to Bockenheim near Bad Dürkheim.
The oldest German wine tourism route opened in 1935 as an effort to revitalize the wine industry. Along the German Wine Route countless open-air wine festivals are celebrated between March and October.
The largest wine fest worldwide with more than 600,000 visitors each year is the "Wurstmarkt" (Sausage Market), a huge carneval around the world's largest wine barrel in Bad Dürkheim in September. Inside the barrel (a popular tourist attraction in South West Germany) is a rustic-style wine bar and a restaurant.
The 592.Wurstmarkt(September 12-16, and 19-22, 2008) is hosted by local wineries, featuring songs and poetry in the Pfaelzisch dialect, amusement rides and fireworks.
High-quality Wines: Weissburgunder and Spätburgunder
The Pfalz, Palatinate in English, is Germany’s second-largest wine region. It's Mediterranean climate makes the hillsides ideal for growing grapes. Along with the grapes the Romans also brought almond trees to the area, and it is not surprising that figs, lemons and kiwifruit grow here.
Before the 1980s the Südliche Weinstrasse (Southern Wine Road, from Neustadt to the French border) was often associated with quantity rather than quality, as the majority of grapes were destined for commercial blends. In recent years exceptional growers and their estate-bottled wines helped to make the Südpfalz known among serious wine lovers.
The soil structure (limestone layers underneath clay) provides the opportunity to produce high-quality wines. The wine guide Gault Millau recently announced that the Pfalz produces Germany’s best Weissburgunder (pinot blanc) and Spätburgunder (pinot noir).
The first wine fest in the spring is the Mandelblütenfest (Almond Blossom Festival) in Gimmeldingen held in March depending on the flowering of the pink and white blossoms.
The Pfälzer Mandelpfad (almond trail), a new 50 km long hiking trail, will officially open in March 2008 leading from Maikammer to Bad Bergzabern through vineyards and along rows of almond trees.
Fall Dishes: Federweisser (feather+white) and Zwiebelkuchen
Other festivals are the German Wine Harvesting Festival (Deutsches Weinlesefest) in Neustadt, where the German Wine Queen is crowned in October, festivals in Freinsheim (Stadtmauerfest in July) and Deidesheim (Deidesheimer Weinkerwe in August) and the German Wine Route Day (Erlebnistag Deutsche Weinstraße) traditionally celebrated on the last Sunday in August.
Wineries and Straußwirtschaften (seasonal open air eateries) open for thousands of hikers, bicyclists and inline skaters.
The fall wine festivals serve Federweisser (feather white), a cloudy, sweet, bubbly almost-wine still in the fermentation process. It is accompanied by Zwiebelkuchen (a quiche- like onion tart, a filling dish meant to temper the sneaky tendency of the new wine to actually be a lot more alcoholic than it tastes.
Traditional Pfälzer Küche (Palatinate Cuisine) includes chestnuts, game, pumpkin, local mushrooms and the legendary Pfälzer Saumagen (stuffed pork belly). These are autumn comfort foods associated with a glass of dark red wine and German "Gemütlichkeit".
Romantic Castles above the Vineyards
The hills above the historic wine villages between Landau and Neustadt are dotted with castles. Hiking trails lead from the towns up to them. Many host restaurants during the summer months. Some of the most impressive are the Rietburg near Rhodt, one of the largest is the Hardenburg (1212) near Bad Dürkheim, built to protect the nearby Limburg (a monastery dating back to 1024). Schloss Edesheim is the home of a 4-star-hotel and Villa Ludwigshöhe near Edenkoben, the former summer residence of Ludwig I. of Bavaria.
- Map of Deutsche Weinstrasse (Palatinate, Germany)
- Südliche Weinstrasse has a calendar of the wine festivals.
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