Freinsheim offers red wine hike to vineyard

by Petra Lessoing
86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs


The historical wine village of Freinsheim will sponsor the first highlight in the vineyards of the Pfalz in 2011 — its annual red wine hike today, Saturday and Sunday.

The red wine hike is a guided tour leading on the wine hiking path to a vineyard called “Musikantenbuckel.”

The event will start at 6 p.m. today with a torch hike. Interested participants will meet near the Baroque town hall, which was built in 1732. Torches will be available right near the town hall and at winery near the train station.

On Saturday and Sunday, activities will continue at 11:30 a.m. at the historical town hall. Wine Princess Pia I and a local music group will welcome hikers who want to join the guided tours.

The first tour will begin at 11 a.m. after the welcoming ceremony and the second tour will start at 12:30 p.m.

On all three days of the event, local vintners will present various red wines such as Dornfelder, Cabernet-Sauvignon, Merlot, Saint Laurent and Spätburgunder in their wineries and at stands.

To be able to warm up in this cold weather, Glühwein (heated red wine spiced with cloves and cinnamon sticks) will also be served. Visitors can taste a variety of food specialties — potato soup, dampfnudeln, cheese soup, rumpsteak with onions, burgundy goulash with spaetzle, fresh oysters, scampis with spaghetti, spinach dumplings on salad, bratwurst, red wine cake and red wine muffins.

Food and drinking stands will be open from 6 to 9 p.m. today, and 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Freinsheim has a medieval ring wall from the 15th century, which surrounds the old part of town with towers and gates. It is known as one of the nicest and most complete town fortification facilities in the Pfalz.

For visitors, it’s worth it to explore Freinsheim  with a tour around the town wall, which takes about one hour.

To get to Freinsheim, travel on A6 direction Mannheim; take the Grünstadt exit; follow the signs to Kirchheim, Dackenheim and Freinsheim.