Camper Van Is given much needed TLC
According to Jacob, the most reliable garage is located in the town of Nierstein, which is in the Rheinhessen region of Germany that is renowned for its diverse wine offerings, particularly its white wines. Here’s a a list of the best wines from Rheinhessen, I managed to put together during my stay at Nierstein:
1. Riesling
Riesling is the flagship grape of Rheinhessen, known for its aromatic profile and high acidity. It can range from dry to sweet.
- Riesling wine producers:
- Weingut Gunderloch: Known for its exceptional Rieslings that often exhibit stone fruit and floral notes.
- Weingut Dr. Loosen: Offers a range of Rieslings with a balance of fruit and minerality.
- Gunderloch Riesling Spätlese - A sweet style with notes of peach, honey, and a crisp finish.
2. Silvaner
Silvaner is a versatile grape that can produce both dry and off-dry wines. It is appreciated for its earthy character and subtle fruit flavors.
Silvaner Producers:
- Weingut Kühling-Gillot: Produces Silvaner with a focus on terroir, showcasing the minerality of the region.
- Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier: Known for innovative wine making techniques that enhance the grape's natural flavors.
3. Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder)
Rheinhessen is also gaining recognition for its red wines, especially Pinot Noir. These wines can be elegant with red fruit flavors and earthy undertones.
Pinot Noire Producers:
- Weingut Pfalz: Offers a range of Pinot Noir wines, balancing fruitiness with complexity.
- Weingut Wagner-Stempel: Known for producing high-quality Pinot Noir with depth and character.
4. Dornfelder
- Dornfelder is a German red grape variety known for its deep color and fruity flavors. It often has soft tannins, making it approachable.
- Dornfelder Producers:
- Weingut Jakob Schneider: Produces rich and fruity Dornfelder wines that are well-balanced.
5. Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc)
- This white grape variety is known for producing fresh and fruity wines, often with a creamy texture.
- Notable Producers:
- Weingut Lingenfelder: Offers a well-structured Weißburgunder with a balance of acidity and fruitiness.
- Lingenfelder Weißburgunder - Exhibits notes of pear and apple, with a refreshing acidity.
When I ask Yaakov how long the repair job take, he replies, "Just four days. Take your bike and enjoy the view of the grapevines. Look at the beautiful river you have down there!" So I find the Weingut Friedrichshof winery which is also a bed and breakfast and book a room for three nights.
Right at the entrance to the room on the right is the bathroom. The room itself is long and narrow, with two beds arranged in a row. The beds are much too soft so I place one of the mattresses on the floor. To the north, there is a large window overlooking the winery's courtyard, and along the western wall are a writing desk, a chair, a small round coffee table, and one more chair. Simple, comfortable, and clean. There quite a good WiFi signal. Good. Here I can work and earn some money that will go straight to repair expenses.
Across the road from the Winery, the local school spans a vast area and features several football fields, at least two basketball courts and elliptical running tracks surrounding the fields. Not far from all the sports facilities are quite a few low buildings where I guess the classrooms are. The room that is closest to the Winery is the Music Room, where a wind orchestra practices every day. I assume the players are quite young. Their breathing power fails to sustain long notes. It sound as if all the music students at every hour of the day are preparing the same musical piece and it is obvious that many of them are completely tone deaf.
On Wednesday morning, Jacob calls to inform me that a part needs to be ordered and that aside from the sixth gear, the clutch has to be replaced. 'How long?' I ask. 'About a week,' Jacob says. 'And how much is it going to cost me?' 'I don’t know, but I trust the guy.' Well, if Jacob trusts the guy, who am I to argue. I go to look for the Winery owner to inform her I shall be staying for a few more days.
In the end, I spend ten nights in Nierstein, and in between sleeping and working, I cycle around the town and its vineyards, climbing up the hills that surround it from the south, west, and north, and crossing the Rhine to the east. One time, while waiting for the ferry with my bicycle, a group of five motorcyclists arrives. I ask one of them where they are headed to and hey tells me that they are doing 'The Seven' - in seven days they will be crossing seven European countries and returning back to the Netherlands from where they are. I ask if I can join their 'Seven' trip, and they laugh.
We all get on the ferry and on the other side of the river, I bid farewell to them, and just to prove that if I want to I can do the 'seven' by myself on a bicycle , I ride to Mainz and back. A total of about fifty kilometers. With a stop for ice cream along the way, it takes me about three hours.
It's a hot day today, and most Germans are heading out to splash in the river and sunbathe in the European sun. Many of them are wandering around naked as a jaybird. But, along the bank of the river, there are also fully dressed women, many of whom in hijabs, burkas, or veils, alongside husbands who are slightly darker than the average German, wearing swimming trunks just like everyone else. Because this is a sweet water river, the grass reaches the water's edge, and tall trees shade large parts of the riverbank.
The last day of my stay in the wine town arrives. What a shame I'm not a drinker and could not enjoy what this wine capital of the Rheinhessen region has to offer . Even though I have to part with two thousand euros I am very excited to be reunited with my lovely Nadedet and her new sixth gear and clutch . We say goodbye to the mechanic and I follow Yaakov back to the city of Mainz.
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