Alsace Wine Tour 2023 – Rodemack to Mittelbergheim

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Rodemack to Mittelbergheim

We breakfast here on the aire de camping cars at Rodemack in France, pack up and drive to the nearby aire in the town of Mondorf aux Bain just over the border back in Luxembourg, to fill up with water.

Gill received  unintentional shower when the force of the water popped the hose out of the water tank where it flayed around wildly like a cartoon. Gill was not happy, fortunately a change a clothes helped and 28°C soon dried the wet clothes.

Back on the road we take A8 a fast dual carriageway through Germany and the mountains via Merzig, Saarlouis to Saarbrüchen and Zweibrüchen where we turn south back into France on D35. Through Bitche to Haguenau. Back on A4 through Strasbourg to Obernai and the small roads to Mittelbergheim, arriving about 4.00pm after 156miles (250km) of driving. We park up next to the cemetery at the Parking du Zotzenberg, a wonderful spot on the edge of the town surrounded by vineyards.

It is hot and busy, a coach parked in our preferred place and another arrives bringing the children back from a day out (or school). We abandon Hymer and walk down the hill into the village to look for cellars who are tasting wine. Many are closing (4.40- 5.00pm) which surprised us because we thought that the end of the day or early evening may be a good time. We find Alfred Earl Wittman has two people at a table in his yard so we join them. The vigneron arrives and he invites us into the cellar, he tells us the others are his friends who are visiting!

We enjoy about an hour of wine tasting (Sylvaner, Auxerois, Reisling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Crémant) talking with him and buy about 18 bottles. As we leave he introduces us to his friends and his mother (the previous generation of vintners), the old lady is small, diminutive and speaks French and German. She chats easily to Alan and warmly shakes my hand wishing me well.

Back at the Parking du Zotzenberg the people and the coaches have gone, so we move to our preferred spot next to the tree and picnic table where we sit and drink the rest of the Crémant de Alsace brought back from Earl Wittman. It is hot and sunny, about 29°C and we reflect on the tremendous thunderstorm of last time we were here in July 2022, when the hailstones (grêlons) were so large they cracked the windscreen! We enjoy chicken in a bun with mushrooms and tomato, sitting outside at the picnic table, with another motorhome and two campervans for company overnight.

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