Strolling Stuttgart’s Suburban Vineyards

Imagine living in a suburban town sprinkled with picturesque hillside vineyards where you can stroll as part of your daily exercise routine. Yet you have all the conveniences of a large city nearby. That’s another reason why I love visiting the little neighborhoods in and around Stuttgart.

Stuttgart has a long history as a major producer of wine. Today, with seven wine cooperatives, a municipal vineyard, a Viniculture Museum, the official Stuttgart Wine Trail (www.stuttgart-tourist.de), and a host of independent producers, the winemaking tradition of this area is alive and well.

With teenagers in tow, I knew that intensive wine investigation would be an unpopular proposition so we settled for a walk through the Lemberg—a small group of privately owned vineyards located on a hill in the Feuerbach suburb. On this particular Saturday, the Lemberg was having its own little Weinwanderung (wine trail) where several families opened their vineyards for wine tasting served with simple Swabian fare.

Our two-mile route began at the backyards of the houses on the edge of Feuerbach, some of which are partially hidden behind ivy- and flower-covered walls, then wound around to the top of the hill, revealing a panoramic view of the greater Stuttgart area.

We stopped for a quick glass of Rotling at a cozy little shack in the vineyard of Rolf Berger—who, for a few weeks each year also runs a “broom pub” in downtown Feuerbach, famous for his wife’s homemade kartoffelsalat (potato salad). Continuing on, we ended our tour at the vineyard of Siegfried and Manfred Rajtschan, where a food tent offered snacks with wines by the glass or the bottle.

Here I sampled the Feuerbacher Berg Riesling 2008 Trocken Kabinett, which was very dry and light with flavors of tart green apples, citrus, and minerals. Next up was the Feuerbacher Berg Cuvee Trocken 2008, a dry red made from Trollinger and Dornfelder—a grape variety that adds color and depth to the blend. The wine was aged in oak barriques—lending a bit more body and a hint of smokiness to what would otherwise be a light, fruity wine.

Our little wine trail excursion was good preparation for the kids as we were about to head to France for a couple of days in the famous wine region of Alsace. They entertained themselves by photographing snails and picking berries and Mirabelle plums—all the while enjoying the natural landscape without the distraction of iPods or Gameboys!

Tags: Wine | wine | Stuttgart Wine Trail