Near the U.S. Army’s Robinson Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany, wine tasting tours in the surrounding vineyards offer a good chance to learn more about the local varieties in a pretty setting. (John Vandiver/Stars and Stripes)
Just outside Robinson Barracks, rows of steep hillside vineyards give a bucolic counterpoint to Stuttgart’s urban bustle and serve as a gateway into one of Germany’s oldest wine-growing regions.
While I’ve long enjoyed the beauty of the “RB” neighborhood, a recent wine tour through the vineyards made me appreciate it even more.
In a country known for its beer, Stuttgart arguably is more of a wine town.
And just down the hillside from Robinson Barracks along the bank of the Neckar River, tours can be booked through the River House group. The program includes a ride in a covered wagon that takes you through the Stuttgart-Munster area.
The slow ascent though the vineyards gives beautiful views of the Max Eyth See, a city lake, and the Neckar valley.
A recent wine tasting tour started along the Neckar River in Stuttgart, Germany, and weaved through hilly vineyards near Robinson Barracks. (John Vandiver/Stars and Stripes)
Our tour kicked off with a welcome from the host and a glass of rosé sekt. Then we were off. The two-hour jaunt included five different tastings that featured offerings from the nearby Zaisserei winery.
After the sekt, we tried a riesling, grauburgunder, a rosé and a red wine called samtrot, a rare vintage known for its velvety texture, moderate acidity and bright berry flavor.
The Stuttgart area is perhaps most acclaimed for the reds known as Trollinger and Lemberg, but those weren’t featured on the tour.
While our guide got into details about the various wines, he also threw in lots of local history, which was one of the highlights.
For example, the popularity of baseball in Stuttgart arguably owes more to a Dutchman’s influence than to the American legacy. That took me by surprise.
I always assumed that the Stuttgart Reds, a professional baseball team with a small stadium across the street from Robinson Barracks, were somehow tied to the influence of the long American troop presence in the city.
But our guide pointed to the Dutch baseball pioneer Jan van den Berg, who founded the Reds in 1986, as the man who laid the foundations for the sport in Stuttgart and across the entire state of Baden-Württemberg.
The guide mixed in such anecdotes in between talking about wine, which added to the overall experience.
The wine tasting program organized by the River House group in Stuttgart, Germany, involves a comfortable ride through the local vineyards in a covered wagon. (John Vandiver/Stars and Stripes)
On this tour, I was accompanied by German associates, and the tour was mainly in German.
An important note for prospective visitors is to make clear when reserving a spot that there is a need for an English-speaking presentation so that the guide is prepared.
Overall, the tour offered a memorable glimpse into a side of Stuttgart that’s easy to overlook.
And for anyone who calls Robinson Barracks home, it serves as a reminder that one of Germany’s most distinctive wine traditions is growing right outside.
On the QT
Address: Austrasse 370, Stuttgart, Germany
Hours: Variable based on booking availability
Cost: $45 per person
Contact: Phone: +49 711 550422 444; email: riverhouse@cool-tours.de
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