Three food cultures, two wheels

Three food cultures on two wheels

Until now there’s been no organized cycling experience like this in the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site embracing the northern Italian Alps where Italian, German and Ladin cultures and traditions overlap making this region, and the blend of cuisines, unique.

A professional bike guide provides a trip briefing, orientation and maps before participants mount up to cycle east through the fields, meadows and forests of the Alta Val Pusteria toward San Candido at 3,855 feet in the Sesto Dolomites Natural Park. Majestic peaks surround this resort town offering antiquities in, among others, a Romanesque church and thermal baths dating to the Middle Ages.

During the tour guests travel the bike lanes of the lower part of Val Pusteria toward Bressanone (Brixen), the artistic and cultural capital of the valley, enroute encountering the small chapel of Stöcklvater at 2,657 feet, the highest spot of the day. Mineral-rich soils, elevation and a cool climate help explain the intense aromas and flavors as well as fruity, mouth-watering acidity found in the wines produced from the typical white Valle Isarco valley grape varieties.

The Eisack River stretches along the Val d’Isarco bike lane leading to Bolzano (Bozen). En route guests will appreciate vineyards and apple orchards, among the main sources of income for the valley, and the charms of the towns of Villandro and Barbiano. From Colma the cycle path is along an old railway that crosses bridges and tunnels that add sizzle to the ride. Bolzano, the largest city in the South Tyrol, an autonomous province in Northern Italy authorized by a special statute which preserves the rights of the German-speaking minority in Italy.

The South Tyrolean wine route around Appiano (Eppan), has many country estates and manor houses, and guests may visit the Kellerei Kaltern winery, one of the most important quality wine producers in Italy. The vineyards are almost entirely worked by hand, with strict guidelines for quality assurance, supervised by the cellar master.

Departures in 2014 are May 18-24 and Sept. 28-Oct. 4 for guided trips that begin in Brunico and conclude in Bolzano. For 2014 trip information and reservations .......

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