During the last months, we have explored the architectural, culinary, touristic and historic potential of our beloved Great Wine Capital of Rheinhessen. However, there is a lot more to come! Rheinhessen is not only the heart of German wine culture; it is also home to surprising and unconventional wine-related activities. In this article, we explore Rheinhessen’s lighter side and present you Alpacas in the vineyards, pop-up wine bars, historic cars and vineyard adventures for children.
Finding Little Karl
Meet Little Karl, Rheinhessen’s fastest wine bar.
The location? A vineyard in Rheinhessen. The challenge? Answering wine-related questions in a team. The goal? Finding Little Karl! Little Karl is a mobile wine bar that moves through Rheinhessen’s vineyards. In order to hunt him down and discover his next secret stop, you and your group have to answer questions about wine. After downloading the Little Karl app on your phone, you embark on a memorable trip through Rheinhessen’s heartland. The app guides you slowly but steadily towards Little Karl. For each correct answer, you will receive a clue about Little Karl’s next stop. If catch him, the wine bar opens and you get to enjoy Rheinhessen’s best wines directly in the vineyard. This outdoor activity is scalable and can be adopted to groups ranging from 15 to 150 people. English tours are available as well! This event effortlessly combines hiking and wine tasting in an accessible way.
Alpaca hikes and good vibes
Relaxing & heart-warming: alpacas in Rheinhessen.
Alpacas are adorable, fluffy animals with a heart of gold. These camel-like animals, which originate from the South American Andes, make a fabulous hiking companion. In Alzey-Weinheim, you can get up close to your very own alpaca and take it for a hike. After receiving a proper introduction on how to handle your alpaca, the two of you get ready for a two-hour hike. Together with other hikers and an experienced guide, you will guide your alpaca through Rheinhessen’s romantic landscape, crossing fields, streams and vineyards. Along the way, you will discover several highlights and learn more about local viticulture. After the hike, the humans gather for a nice glass of Rheinhessen Riesling, while the alpacas enjoy some fresh spring water and grass. The alpaca hike provides you with a fresh and unconventional view of the landscape and allows you submerse yourself into nature.
Children’s vineyard
Kinderwingert©Angelika Friedrich Sulzheim
Deep down in their hearts, all children are explorers. They love to discover new places, try new things and have a natural curiosity about the world. So it is only natural for the children of Rheinhessen to discover the fascinating vineyards around them. The goal of the Kinderwingert (children’s vineyard) project is to expose young children to the vineyard as part of the cultural heritage of Rheinhessen. Each child chooses its very own vine and nurtures it throughout the year. They learn how to trim their vine and how weather, soil and other natural events affect it. Besides, they become familiar with the flora and fauna in and around the vineyard and get to know the birds, flowers and insects that live there. And then there is the highlight of the year: The grapes are picked and pressed into fresh grape juice. And when smiling children sit around a table, enjoying their very own grape juice, the passion for winemaking has touched a new generation.
Historic car tour
Rheinhessen is home to many scenic backroads that are perfect for a laid-back cruise in a nice car. So why not take your favourite historic car for a fun drive to some wineries! In this Rheinhessen motor adventure, participants visit six different wineries in their historic cars. But since this is a responsible event, you don’t drink and drive. Instead, you collect a bottle of wine at each stop for later consumption. The Kultour is an authentic historic car rally like the famous Mille Miglia. The focus of this event is not on speed, but on fun. It includes a rally-style road book and historic maps for navigation. Some participants really feel the vibe and even dress up in cloths the same colour as their automobile! However you approach the Kultour, it is a memorable event and there is no better way to spend a pleasant afternoon if you love wine and cars.
Conclusion
It is it’s variety that makes Rheinhessen such a unique location. No matter whether you are a child or an adult, whether you prefer a quiet alpaca hike or travelling inside a roaring automobile – you are guaranteed to enjoy yourself.
Further information:
Learn more about Mainz | Rheinhessen Great Wine Capital
Little Karl
Alpaca hike
Children’s vineyard