Estate vinothek and tasting bar of the 1785-founded Fitz-Ritter wine and Sekt estate in Bad Duerkheim. Bottle-fermented Sekt alongside estate Riesling and Pinot wines in a vaulted cellar setting.
The list: Estate vinothek and tasting bar of the 1785-founded Fitz-Ritter Sekt and wine estate, pouring estate Sekt traditional method alongside Pfalz Riesling and Pinot wines
Pours: Fitz-Ritter Sekt brut, Bad Duerkheim Riesling, Spaetburgunder
Pfalz restaurant inside the 1934 Duerkheimer Riesenfass, an oversized wine barrel monument. Two floors plus the attached Buett seat 430 plus 120 guests, with over 150 Bad Duerkheim wines on the list.
Self-guided wine festival walk through the Bad Duerkheim Wurstmarkt, the wine festival held the second and third weekends of September around the Riesenfass. Over 150 Bad Duerkheim wines from 50 stations.
A 1417-founded September fair that draws around 600,000 visitors to Bad Duerkheim across two long weekends. More than 30 Schubkarchstaende grower stands pour Pfalz Riesling and Spaetburgunder at the foot of the Michelsberg.
Tip: Skip the fairground rides and head straight for the Schubkarchstaende behind the main fair; the grower-direct stands are the wine-quality heart of the Wurstmarkt.
A rotating weekend tasting stand in the Kurpark at Bad Duerkheim, run from spring to autumn by a different Pfalz grower each weekend. The Weinprobierstand is the easiest year-round way to taste Pfalz wines outside a single estate.
Tip: Check the published rota before you go; the rotating grower changes weekly, so a planned visit lines you up with a specific Mittelhaardt or Suedliche Weinstrasse estate.
Family Edelbrand distillery in Bad Duerkheim founded 1996 by Axel Hubach, a trained master gardener. Estate-grown old and rare fruit varieties harvested by hand are pot-distilled into Williams pear, cherry, mirabelle and quince brandies.
Tasting: Distillery and orchard visits with tastings by arrangement; on-site Hofladen shop with seasonal Edelbrand release tastings
The 1934 Duerkheimer Riesenfass in Bad Duerkheim was built as an oversized wine barrel monument, 15 metres long and 13.5 metres across, built from approximately 200 Black Forest fir trees. The interior houses a Pfalz restaurant and event hall.
The Bad Duerkheim Wurstmarkt has been held on the second and third weekends of September since 1417, drawing more than 600,000 annual visitors. Over 150 Bad Duerkheim wines pour from around 50 stations around the Riesenfass.
Weekend pour stand in the Bad Duerkheim Kurpark, run from spring to autumn by a different rotating Pfalz grower each weekend with by-the-glass tastings of Riesling, Weissburgunder and Spaetburgunder.
The list: A weekend pour stand in the Kurpark at Bad Duerkheim, run from spring to autumn by a different Pfalz grower each weekend, with by-the-glass tastings of Pfalz Riesling, Weissburgunder and Spaetburgunder into the evening
Tip: Check the rotating grower rota before you visit; the Weinprobierstand is the easiest way to taste a different Pfalz estate every weekend.
Alexander Pflueger at Bad Duerkheim farms 38 hectares of Mittelhaardt vineyards in certified Demeter-biodynamic viticulture since 2008, working Riesling and the Burgunder family from sites around Bad Duerkheim, Ungstein and Wachenheim.
Tip: Combine a Pflueger tasting with a Duerkheimer Spielberg vineyard walk; the estate runs Demeter-biodynamic vineyard tours on weekend mornings.