Riquewihr, Rue des Remparts, door on right hand side is the entrance to Dove's Nest, where we stayed.
Our windows of Dove's Nest looking towards the Cour des Bergers where the village firemen conducted their drills on early Sunday morning.
House with red roses outside the North Gate Tower of Riquewihr. A narrow road carries on past this house, branching off inside the forest towards the vineyards of Hunawihr (our frequent picnic destination).
Riquewihr, typical Alsatian timber frame houses. Riquewihr looks today more or less as it did in the 16th century. The German name for Riquewihr was Reichenweiher. Alsace changed hands four times between France and Germany in 75 years.
Riquewihr: Tasting Room of Hugel & Fils. Our host was Loïc Fauré (Loïc is wrongly assumed to be of Breton origin). On leaving Loïc presented us with a Hugel bottle opener, "but only to open Hugel bottles" he cautioned...
Red roses are everywhere in Alsatian wine villages. They are also planted alongside the vineyards because they are early monitors against diseases that may befall the vines.
Weird and romantic corners and passages. Antonio Gaudi and Friedensreich Hundertwasser might have been inspired here . . . Balconies, balustrades, columns and fountains ("puits") were seemingly added higglety pigglety as they were needed, over time
Riquewihr, "Maison du Conseiller". Riquewihr was originally the property of the Dukes of Wuerttemberg. City houses like this demonstrate the difference of local village folk and nobility. They are "the odd man out" among the picturesque tradiitional timber house street fronts.
Maison du Tonnelier Hans Binder, built in 1595
Motto of GEORG GRAF WUERTTEMBERG - DIE STUND BRINGS END (a german version of MORS CERTA - HORA INCERTA) . . .
Puits (fountain) built into the entrance hall of a house in Riquewihr
View of Riquewihr looking south from the steep Schoenenburg vineyard (Hugel's noblest Rieslings come from here). Both churches of Riquewihr can be seen here, the Protestant church in the foreground, the Catholic one in the background.
famous Grand Cru Schoenenburg vinyeard, on the north side of Riquewihr
flowers along the vineyard road
On a hot day in Colmar's Little Venice
Here we had lunch in Colmar after visiting the Unterlinden Museum with the superb Isenheimer Altar. Foie Gras, flamiche, Pinot Gris . . .
tired after walking all day exploring Colmar
Ribeauville, Town Hall, ornate fountain
Ribeauville, Cheval Noir, Flamiches, biere pression
Ribeauville, Cheval Noir, Flamiches, biere pression + waitress
ditto + two waitresses, both charming and helpful
Ribeauville, best restaurant in town (reputedly)
Windholtz Distillery, just south of Ribeauville, one of the best in Alsace
Strasbourg Cathedral - HORROR VACUI
Strasbourg Cathedral and Maison Kammerzell
Maison Kammerzell (also dubbed Chocolate Wafer House) - here too: HORROR VACUI - the fear of plain surfaces.
Obernai: help is fast at hand, in case you lost track of your "shopping spouse"
Pictures can be easier to read than lettering on signs
Eguisheim, Rue des Remparts
Eguisheim, Rue des Remparts
Eguisheim, Tasting Room of Leon Beyer, makes the driest great wine in Alsace (thus my favourite)
GONE FISHING, in spring, vendange is still far away
Ribeauville, home of Trimbach & Sons Winery
One of the seven great white wines of France: Trimbach Riesling Clos Sainte Hune. MY list of the other six: Montrachet R.D.C., Corton Charlemagne Louis Latour, Chateau Haut Brion Blanc, La Coulee de Serrant (Loire), Chateau Chalon (Jura, had 6 bottles of 1961), Chateau Grillet, all of them to be drunk after at least 10 years of aging.
Clos Ste Hune vineyard with fortified church of Hunawihr as backdrop
The vines of Clos Ste Hune are mostly 50+ years old.
Clos Ste Hune: have tasted at least a dozen vintages in the past; not any more: American market hype has driven the price of the currently sold vintage(!) to 200$ a bottle.
We spoke to the vineyard worker at Clos Ste Hune who explained why the neighbouring plots do not produce equally good wine (soil, age of vines, "sun trap")
Clos Ste Hune, budding grapes: baby stars
Clos Ste Hune, looking west. Later, in evening, the retiring sun caressed the vineyard with the last gentle rays.
Birthday Picnic above Clos Ste Hune (in the Rosacker vineyard), drinking Rosacker Riesling, quite similar to Clos Ste Hune, at 1/10 of the price
Tree near picnic site next to Rosacker vineyard, just to prove we were there between 19:00h and 20:00h, exactly the ONLY rainfree slot during that day
Rosacker vineyard in Hunawihr
TRIMBACH may be a very old family name, there is even a village in the hills behind Ribeauville carrying almost the same name.