The retired traveller: 2026-04-27 Riquewihr & Ammerschwir (wine tasting)

We'll start the day at Riquewihr, a Plus Beau Village on the Route de Vin (wine route), not far from Logelheim.

Logelheim to Riquewihr (pronounced ree-ki-vire)

Thanks to its location in a cul-de-sac NW of Colmar, Riquewihr escaped bombing in WWII, thus maintaining the medieval character of their village center. It is one of the most visited villages in France.

We parked outside the inner city and walked a block to the entrance at the Hotel de Ville. Once inside the perimeter of the old city center, one is carried back to its medieval roots.

Hotel de Ville - aka City Hall

Looking through the archway of the Hotel de Ville

Some how I cannot resist taking photos of the wisteria hanging from some of the buildings. It's at its height of flowering and we're lucky to see it in full bloom. So please forgive the pretty flower photos.

Some houses still sport their Easter decorations.

One building is prettier than the next. Cafés and wine shops alternate with tourist shops on the main street.

sign for Hugel wines

more wisteria

a colorful cafe

One of the shops is Kathe Wohlfahrt. Fifty years ago when we lived in the Stuttgart area, Kathe Wohlfahrt had a store in the basement of her house where she sold lovely German Christmas ornaments. It was a favorite place for the IBM Sindelfingen American assignee wives. We still have many Christmas decorations from those years. She was obviously successful. I remember shopping in a Kathe Wohlfahrt store in Rothenburg in the 1990s. She has clearly expanded - and so has her inventory.

Kathe Wohlfahrt's Christmas all year round store

Inside Kathe Wohlfahrt's store

Towers and walls give evidence of the medieval fortress that was Riquewihr.

Dave & Dale keeping watch

And of course, there is no end of half-timbered houses and one view is prettier than the next.

But this house is a puzzle. What were they trying to accomplish?

While visiting the church, we came across two Alsation staples, storks, and memorials to the fallen in WWII. These memorials are always sobering, not only for the loss of a town's youth to war, but also the men conscripted by the Germans to fight against their families at home.

The storks on the other hand, bring joy and new life and add to the happiness of the Alsatians.

We came back to the house for lunch. In the afternoon, Janis, Clark, Dale, and Dave drove to Ammerswihr for a wine tasting at the Domaine Kuehn. This winery was recommend by "the Queen of Wine" Laure, who organized the Bordeaux wine tasting week that Janis and Clark participated in. Not only was the wine wonderful but the house had historical significance. In December 1944 and January 1945, WWII was raging and the town of Ammerswihr was 90% destroyed by Nazi bombs. The Kuehn family sheltered more than 100 people in the 17th century cellars of the winery during this time. They also hid artwork from the church and other valuables in their cellars to protect them from damage and looting.

Janis & Clark in front of Kuehn's winery

The winery sign

The Kuehn family has owned this winery since the 17th century. René Kuehn, the last to bear the Kuehn name, expanded the family's exposure in the wine world.

Grandpa René Kuehn

Today, his grandson, Nicolas, continues the family's wine ventures. And he was the host for our wine tasting crew.

Clark, Dave, & Janis tasting Kuehn wines

This was a favorite

Not only did our crew taste wine (and buy some) but they visited the caves to see how the wine was made. Barrels of 10,050 liters, smaller barrels, and modern stainless steel vats are all used in the wine making process.