Vineyards of Ribeauvillé

Ribeauvillé is one of the pretty wine villages of the Haut-Rhin, at the foot of the Vosges between Colmar and Sélestat, and its slopes are covered in vines that produce some of the best-known wines of Alsace. Three ruined castles of the lords of Ribeaupierre stand on the crags above the village, the Saint-Ulrich, the Girsberg and the Haut-Ribeaupierre, and they overlook rows of vines that run down the hillside to the roofs of the old town. The vineyard is made up of different soils, from granite and sandstone to limestone and marl, and the village has three Grand Cru sites, Geisberg, Osterberg and Kirchberg de Ribeauvillé, whose wines are among the most prized in the region.

The main grape varieties are those of Alsace. Riesling gives dry, precise wines with a mineral edge, Gewürztraminer produces aromatic wines with notes of lychee and rose, Pinot Gris yields rich, full-bodied wines, and Muscat is made into fresh, fragrant wines. Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner are lighter, and Pinot Noir produces the red and rosé wines. Crémant d'Alsace, the sparkling wine made by the traditional method, is made throughout the region. The wine is bottled in the tall, slim flute-shaped bottle that is typical of Alsace.

The focus of wine tourism is the Cave de Ribeauvillé, a cooperative founded in 1895, which is regarded as the oldest winegrowers' cooperative in France. It organises several types of visit through the year, mainly from spring to autumn, with the visit to the historic cellar and a small museum of winegrowing about forty-five minutes long, followed by a tasting in the shop. A workshop on grape varieties, designed for beginners and families, lasts around an hour and a half and is held on certain days, and there are longer guided visits that take you into the vineyards to explain the soils, the terroirs and the work of the winegrower, with a tasting. Bookings are generally required, group sizes are limited, and tours are given in French and English, so check the calendar and reserve ahead. Prices vary by activity, with a free tasting at the end of the cellar visit.

You can also walk in the vineyards without joining a tour. A marked path, the Sentier des Vignes, climbs through the vines above the town with views over the roofs, the castles and the plain of the Rhine, and it is best in the morning and the evening when the light is soft. The grape harvest in September and October brings activity to the slopes, and the village is lively with festivals, among them the Pfifferdaj, the fiddlers' festival held on the first Sunday of September, which commemorates the old guild of minstrels in a costume procession.

The village itself is attractive, with its half-timbered houses, fountains and towers, and the gingerbread museum, the Maison du Pain d'Épices, is a popular stop. The Église Saint-Martin and the town ramparts add to the walk. The vineyards suit wine lovers, walkers and families.