Travel through the vineyards on an electric scooter with Riqu’ecotours

The sun is already shining brightly this summer morning. It is in the heart of Riquewihr, at the Domaine de la Tour Blanche, that Alexandra of Riq’ecotours welcomes us with a smile. She leads us a few steps further to the shed where the electric scooters are stored for the departure briefing!

From theory to practice

We are listening carefully to the instructions, with the caps on our heads and helmets in our hands. Margot, a colleague I took on this adventure, doesn’t look reassured. Alexandra reassures us “it is really very accessible even if you have never ridden on two wheels”.

The concept is simple but very effective: discover the vineyards around Riquewihr by riding autonomously with one of the 6 scooters during 1H30 or 3H. For the lucky ones, the morning will continue with a tasting of the family estate’s wines and a special lunch offered as part of this service at restaurant le Médieval (A program that makes your mouth water but we remain focused on the instructions distilled by Alexandra.

On the hardware side, the electric scooters, which have a rather cool look, have a gear system on the handlebars. The braking and acceleration are done with the handles as on a classic scooter and they have a range of 50 km. Several storage compartments are at your disposal on the machine such as a topcase (practical for the camera or the handbag and a smartphone holder for the gps function).

Let’s go for a ride !

After a few accelerations and the first turns (surprising at the beginning), we take the road towards the Grand Cru Schoenenbourg. The climb is rather tough but the scooters don’t let themselves be pushed around and take it without batting an eye. The view is beautiful and after a few souvenir photos, we accelerate towards Zellenberg via the path called Geovino. The kilometers go by without the slightest effort: it is only pleasure!

Thefortified church of Hunawihr is now very close to us. We go around it by the vineyard to join the cycle track in direction of Ribeauvillé. Everything is going well and we now have complete confidence in our “mounts”. Energized, we allow ourselves to accelerate a little more on the way back. The increase in speed gives us a great feeling of driving and coolness, especially in the shade or on the edge of the forest.

After the “effort”, the comfort

After a detour through Sigolsheim we return to the estate. The continuation of the performance awaits us after this more than successful first part. Alexandra’s mother, Estelle, will show us the cellar and the family’s products. It is cool. It must be said that the house was built on the old city wall. You might as well say that the walls are thick. After a visit of the (superb) wooden tuns room the tasting begins. Estelle adapts the program according to our tastes. We discover with pleasure the wines produced on the different places we have surveyed by scooter like the Grand Cru Schoenenbourg (on which is produced the Riesling for which I have a weakness).

A 100% Riquewihr experience

The time has come for us to thank Estelle and Alexandra and to go to the medieval city center, a few minutes walk from the domain. We settle down on one of the most beautiful terraces of Riquewihr with a view on the Dolder tower. It’s nice in the shade and despite the heat the appetite is there. So much the better because the formula is generous and allows to taste one of the specialities of Riquewihr: the green sauerkraut (also called Riquewihrienne). This is a classic sauerkraut with cream and many herbs: parsley, basil, dill, chervil, … A treat for the eyes and for the taste buds! The herbs and cream reduce the acidity of the cabbage and go well with cold cuts.

It is happy and full that we end this morning of Dolce vita “à l’alsacienne”. As a matter of fact, it is not only in Tuscany that you can ride along the country roads on two wheels, enjoying the picturesque landscapes while feeling the fresh air on your face…

My photos of the electric scooter ride with Riq’Ecotours