Grenzenlos Wein Schweigen-Rechtenbach

Cross-border Wine Concept

The Grenzenlos Wein format sees itself as a conscious bridge between Palatinate and Alsatian wine culture. Both regions share much geologically and climatically – they lie on the eastern edge of the Vosges mountains and on the loess terraces of the Rhine Valley. Politically, a border separates them; in terms of wine culture, they share a tradition that the festival makes visible.

Sonnenberg Wine Educational Trail

The Sonnenberg wine educational trail is a marked hiking path through the Schweigen vineyards, explaining grapevines, geology, and viticulture through information boards. During the festival, the trail transforms into a series of stations – each vintner manages a serving point, and visitors hike from station to station with a glass and tasting card.

Gewürztraminer Parcours at the Sonnenberghütte

The Sonnenberghütte is the central shelter on the trail and the venue for the Gewürztraminer parcours. Several German and Alsatian vintners present their Gewürztraminer styles in direct comparison. The spectrum ranges from dry Gewürztraminer from the Palatinate to the sweet Vendange Tardive from Alsace – a concentrated tasting experience that is hard to find elsewhere.

Schweigen-Rechtenbach at the Start of the Wine Route

Schweigen-Rechtenbach is the southernmost village on the German Wine Route, marked by the iconic German Weintor – a stone gate from 1936 that marks the beginning of the Wine Route. The village thrives on viticulture and cross-border trade and is a stop for many wine hikers who traverse the Wine Route from south to north.