Hiking meets wine experience!

A tour with Culture and Wine Ambassador Kirsten Pfitzer

By CARMEN SADOWSKI:  The Mosel below, a bright blue sky above and narrow paths winding through the sea of vines in between. “You can see better on foot,” the painter Paul Klee once said. And the artist was right, because all senses are alertwhen walking. Slate crunches under foot, wormwood releases its scent. Bushy stonecrop glows on rocks, songbirds hustle.  And there are grapes, grapes and more grapes growing wherever you look, on every little spot of land.

Hiking along the Mosel is a very popular pastime. And so is drinking wine, of course. What a good thing it is that combining one with the other is so easy to do.

Ansicht auf eine Kultur- und Weinbotschafterin während einer Erlebnistour durch die Weinberge bei Erden.

Those who have mastered the vineyards on foot alongside Kirsten Pfitzer can attest to this. Kirsten Pfitzer, known as Kiki, is a leader. In the literal sense. Because the winegrower is one of the region's more than fifty highly trained Culture and Wine Ambassadors. Guided tours and themed hikes are her speciality.

 

 

All of the certified experts have one thing in common; a passion for the incredible landscape they make their way through. But each one shows the Mosel Valley from their own special perspective. They are happy to go off the beaten track and always share a sprinkling of history and stories en route.

Vineyard knowledge guaranteed

Winegrower Kiki Pfitzer knows every vine, every beetle, every stone within these vineyards. She explains how the common houseleek, which grows on the bare rocks here, was once said to have magical protective powers during thunderstorms. And that the blue-winged grasshopper is a master of camouflage and deception.  When it rests on the ground it is near to invisible. Only in flight does it show its sky-blue wings, which give the grasshopper its name.

There is so much to discover in this special biotope – it teems with rare animals and plants. Eagle owls build their nests here, portly bumblebees buzz among the wallflowers and woundwort. Wall lizards love the warm slate rock.
And in how many other places in Germany can you observe a shy rock bunting or perhaps even a green lizard?
With a little luck, shy smooth snakes might cross your path in the Erdener Treppchen vineyard. Proud kites glide through the air, peregrine falcons circle overhead, searching for their prey.

Culinary experience included

During a tour, Kiki Pfitzer treats guests to regional specialities. Now and again, there is a toast or two with one of the wines you can so beautifully see growing on the spot where you stand. As an aside, the winemaker explains how old vines get and why the best Mosel wines thrive on steep slopes.

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