Hiking is the winemaker's delight

The rustling of the light green leaves, a gentle breeze on your face, the scent of earth and resin, the springy ground under your feet, a deer darting past... all of this makes a walk in the forest a magical experience. Your heart expands, and annoying little things are reduced to the status they should have: at the very bottom of the list of important things in life.

And of course, a perfect hiking trip also includes a picnic! We grew up right next to some of Germany's most beautiful hiking trails and can rightly call ourselves picnic experts ;-), so today we want to give you some tips.

What should be in a picnic backpack?

As little as possible, because you want to be unburdened!

So let's start with the things you can save on when you're in the Palatinate Forest:

• A picnic blanket or mat. If you're in the Palatinate Forest, you can skip the blanket, as there are many rest stops with rustic benches and tables – often with a sensational view included for free!

• Toilet paper. Not as idyllic, but important. However, there are forest huts in the Palatinate Forest, all of which offer toilets. So if you plan your route wisely, you don't have to worry about squatting behind the next bush. It's funny that a UNESCO World Heritage site (because these huts have that status!) has such practical side effects!

• Drinking water. We have many small streams and fresh spring water in the Palatinate Forest, cool and clear, rippling over the pebbles. According to German law, this water does not have drinking water quality because it is not constantly monitored (so you drink at your own risk!)… but it hasn't harmed us yet. If you want to mix a spritzer, however, you'll need to bring sparkling water… or stop at the next forest hut.

Let's move on to the things you absolutely need for a picnic!

• Bread: We Germans love our bread, whether it's a fresh baguette or a hearty rye bread – with bread, we're all happy.

• Palatinate Canned Sausage – we offer canned sausage from the private Metzgerei Joachim in Landau - Wollmeseheim, which pays great attention to animal welfare and produces exceptionally delicious sausage. It can be opened without a can opener (very important for a picnic, because nothing is sadder than looking at a sealed can you can't open!).

• A knife for spreading the sausage on the bread. If it's sharp enough, you can also use it to cut any fruit you brought. A Swiss army knife is, of course, the ultimate, if you get carried away and want to cut, grate, pierce, or otherwise process something. (Such a forest can inspire creativity!).

• For dessert, a small snack, for example, our wine gums made from real red, white, or rosé wine. Wonderful for sucking and enjoyable chewing. The special thing: the intense wine flavor and a hint of alcohol!

• And – drumroll – of course, the most important thing: a good wine:

Photo: Picnic break in the Palatinate Forest

Wines for a picnic

Today we have selected three picnic wines for you that we love to put in our backpack. To ensure there's something for every taste, we've chosen a favorite from each category (dry, off-dry, sweet).

Our tip: If the wine gets too warm during the day, simply place the bottle in the stream for a few minutes before enjoying it!

Silvaner (dry)

This wine is also called Grüner Silvaner. Bred in Austria from a cross between the Traminer & Österreichisch Weiß grape varieties, its finely fruity and mild aroma makes it a very popular food (and picnic!) companion.

It doesn't like dryness, which is why it grows very happily with us, among other places, on our calcareous marl soil, which stores water well. Silvaner is a lively wine reminiscent of pear & green apples, with a mineral & subtle taste.

Müller-Thurgau (off-dry)

A Prof. Dr. Müller developed this wine by crossing the Riesling & Madeleine Royal grape varieties in 1882. Since Müller is really not a very distinctive name (sorry, all you Müllers!), an addition was needed, so the new grape variety was quickly given the breeder's origin in its name – because this Prof. Dr. Müller came from Switzerland, specifically the canton of Thurgau (although he bred the wine in Geisenheim, Germany).

From a marketing perspective, something more romantic could certainly have been developed, but if this gentle and unobtrusive everyday wine had been given a bombastic name (like "Suisse Royal" or "Madeleine de Ries"), it would have become a faux pas anyway.

Because Müller-Thurgau is light, mild & harmonious, a pleasant wine that is also popular because it contains less acidity than, for example, a Riesling or a Scheurebe, making it gentler on the stomach. Its taste is reminiscent of white blossoms & fresh grass – a perfect picnic combination!

Scheurebe (sweet)

Imagine a colorful flower bed, bumblebees intoxicated with bliss, their plump fuzzy bottoms falling asleep headfirst in the blossoms, intoxicated by scent and sweet pollen… and you have grasped the Scheurebe in its essence.

Because this cross between Riesling and highly aromatic bouquet grape varieties tastes floral & powerful and delights with its exotic fruitiness, reminiscent of grapefruit and blackcurrant. Scheurebe also reminds a little of Sauvignon Blanc, although it is not as spicy. A wonderful wine for a picnic with friends!

Do you already have a favorite? If you can't decide or have friends with different preferences, grab one of our picnic packages… that's already the basis for a wonderful day in the forest.

Your counts, already planning the next picnic

P.S. A perfect hiking destination, by the way, is our Schweizer Haus, one of the UNESCO World Heritage forest huts. It is only 20 minutes from our winery and can be planned as a stop on three very different hiking routes.

P.P.S. If you don't like hiking so much, you can also cheat: From the nearest parking lot, it's about 20 minutes gently uphill. For some, that's enough action for the day. And that's perfectly fine, because the wine tastes good even without a forced march beforehand!