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Indulge Yourself on Our Spring Wine Tour…

The Wines and Vineyards of Franconia, in Northern Bavaria, Coming in the Spring of 2015


Experience seven nights and eight days of adventure on this tour of Franconia’s soul-stirring wine country… Sample outstanding Grand crus, Kabinetts and other brilliant regional specialtiesGet into the spirit at a Franconian village wine festival, Visit VDP estates, pioneering regional winemakers and undiscovered estates… Eat nose-to-tail at a traditional Schlachtfest and enjoy a hands-on cooking workshop… Marvel at the Renaissance splendor of the Würzburg Residenz… Experience all that Franconian hospitality has to offer at local inns and hotels…

GO DEEP! IS WHAT THE ZEN MASTER ADVISES. It’s also a Janet Jackson song. And it’s what the coach yells to the long receiver on the football field.

Go Deep also applies to wine, and you’ll have an opportunity to devote an entire trip to it on our Wines and Vineyards of Franconia Tour. If you are a foodie, wine lover, or member of Generation Wine (regardless of your age) — or if you just like the idea of digging in and focusing deeply, richly and singlemindedly on the wines and winemaking of one individual region, this is the wine tour you won’t want to miss.

The Experience

German Wine Tours www.treasuresofeuropetours.com

From Grape to Glass

Our wine tour is all about experiencing Wine in Context. Wine in Germany is viewed less as a product, and more as a drinkable cultural treasure that is deeply connected to the region and is best experienced in the region where it is made. We’ll access a whole range of types and styles on the Franconian Wine Trail, including whites, reds and rosés.

The wines of Franconia are dry by nature and tradition. You’ll experience luscious bone-dry and mid-range Rieslings, poised Silvaners, vivid Pinot Noirs and Pinot Grigios and rosés – you’ll also sample the traditional Müller-Thurgau, a regional speciality that fell from grace and is being revived by a coalition of young vintners called Frank und Frei (Frank and Free).

You’ll discover top-level VDP estates, small producers, cooperatives, under-the-radar growers and nextGen winemakers who are setting the bar high, particularly in the Riesling and Pinot department. Headliners include Hans Wirsching, whose family has been making wine since 1630, the Juliusspital Estate, Rudolf Fürst, Horst Sauer Steinmann and the 575-year-old Schloss Löwenstein Estate, plus others.

Wine and Architecture

Franconia’s winemakers have pioneered the marriage of wine and architecture with an array of interesting projects, including the adaptive re-use of centuries-old buildings, the skillful integration of modern design in historic building ensembles and striking interior design. We’ll see several inspiring examples of this trend during the tour, including estate buildings, cellars and cooperatives.

Highlights

  • 7 nights/8 days
  • Airport transfers
  • Coach with private driver during the entire trip
  • Fully guided
  • Boutique hotels — comfortable rooms with private bath
  • Nine meals (seven breakfasts and two dinners)
  • All tastings, cellar tours and meetings with vintners
  • Welcome gathering at the winegrowers’ association
  • Private tour of Volkach
  • Wine Festival and Schlachtfest
  • Private cooking workshop featuring traditional Franconian cuisine
  • Guided tour of the Würzburg Renaissance Residenz

The price is $3150.00, based on double occupancy. Single rooms are available for a supplement of $300. Would you like to share a double room with someone? Let us know if you’re interested and we’ll look for a simpatico fellow traveler who would like to share. Accommodations for your last night are included so you don’t have to scramble to find a place to stay or worry about getting to the airport in the morning. The wine festival, Schlachtfest and a few other gatherings are public events. All estate visits, meetings with winegrowers and tastings are private events, arranged solely for our group.

Staying Social…

Do your friends rely on you to scout out new finds and let them know what you think of the wines you try? Are you a wine blogger, opinion-maker or foodie with a following?

Stay in touch with the folks back home while you’re on the road and light up the blogosphere, Facebook or Twitter with updates from the wine trail. Your public will love hearing about your adventures. You can post directly from German wine country and let your friends know who you’re meeting, what wines you’re tasting and what’s on your plate. Grab some great photos to include. Share your impressions and reviews and help your friends connect with your experiences.

The Wines and Vineyards of Franconia — 2016

Your Itinerary

 

Day 1  Würzburg and Volkach, the Heart of Franconian Wine Country

Private kick-off and welcome gathering at the Franconian Vintners Association in Würzburg, the Wine Capitol of Bavaria.  Ride to Volkach.  Settle in and private walking tour of this walled village, with a stop at a local estate.

Day 2  Iphofen 

Visit to the Arnold Estate (VDP) and then to the Medieval wine village Iphofen for a round of visits and tastings.

Day 3  Iphofen Area and North-Central Franconia

Visit to the Ruck and Wirsching Estates, both VDP members. We’ll sample their crispy Rieslings, Scheureben, Müller-Thurgaus and Silvaners as well as their Pinot Grigios and Pinot Noirs. Arnold, Wirsching and Ruck are highly rated.  Time permitting, we’ll also visit the Wine Estate of Prince Castell and the Max Müller Estate.

Day 4  Würzburg Region

Cellar visits and tastings in the Würzburg area. Evening: introduction to Franconian specialties with a private cooking lesson.

Day 5  Sommerach Area

For a different take on winemaking in Franconia, we’ll visit the Sommerach and Nordheim growers’ cooperatives, with a tour and degustation at both. Cooperatives are a vital force in the Franconian wine scene — these two are among the most successful and respected in the region. Their portfolio includes Riesling, Scheurebe, Silvaner, Müller-Thurgau and Pinots. Later on, we’ll be visiting the Rudolf Fürst and Horst Sauer estates.

Day 6  Sommerhausen and Würzburg

Afternoon and evening in 1300-year-old Würzburg, including a custom tour of the Residenz, a splendid Baroque palace that is a UNESCO world heritage site. Time permitting, we will also visit Würzburg’s imposing castle, which dates to the Middle Ages. We’ll sample wine at the Juliusspital and Bürgerspital wineries, which are known far and wide for their outstanding offerings. As nonprofit wineries, they’re also a historical curiosity. Both estates are owned and operated by charitable foundations, founded hundreds of years ago, and their revenues help fund hospitals and senior care centers.

Day 7  Lower Main Valley

Today’s trek will include Franconia’s Red Wine Trail, in the eastern part of the region. We’ll be visiting  the Rudolf Fürst cellars, Hallburg Castle and the Löwenstein Estate, in the Lower Main Valley, a royal winery dating back to 1611 that is owned and operated by an aristocratic family.

Day 8  Frankfurt Area

Airport transfer and return. 

Use the Reserve button to get on the list. It’s easy! Click on the button, fill out the form and click “Send.” We’ll alert you as soon as the trip dates are firmed up.

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