Rhin

astride the steep terraces of the “land of a thousand hills”, the Khüling-Gillot estate grows a now-famous and powerfully aromatic grape variety – Riesling. Winding through 26,000 hectares of vineyards, large swathes of which run majestically down to the river, the Alpine A110 delves into the heart of Germany’s largest wine-growing region.

Run by women for two centuries, this family business is today owned by Franco-German winegrower Carolin Spanier-Gillot. Trained at the Geisenheim oenology institute, she inherited six hectares of vineyards, adding more each season.

In the family home in Bodenheim, where several vintage cars stand between wine crates readied for the road, the reception room offers visitors the chance to discover grands crus – Petthenthal foremost among them – generally served exclusively in the restaurants of top chefs.

“A wine that’s full of emotion and character, it’s very similar to a car because it has to prove – beyond its bodywork – the excellence of its contents every year, allowing us to rediscover the same elegance and the same constant pleasure”

continues its trip across Germany, along the Bavarian roads that cut through lush green hills, pastureland and forests. With its straight lines and generous curves, the blue sports coupé is made for this landscape. It’s a pleasure shared for more than 30 years by mechanical engineer Jürgen Clauss, who fell in love with the Alpine berlinette in the mid-60s, and went on to be one of the world’s leading collectors.

Inside his Alpine-Lab – a garage laboratory built with his own hands – this “goldsmith” and mechanic has been restoring Alpine’s cult racing cars for some 30 years.

He restores the cars to their former glory, steeped in the authentic charm of the great age of motoring, endeavoring to match the originals – and the ideas of founder Jean Rédélé – as closely as possible, supported by a vast technical and historical encyclopedia compiled by Clauss himself. His collection includes the jaw-dropping Alpine 1100 Tour de France, a model released in 1965, with its remarkable white bodywork, chrome lines and the understated luxury of its interiors.

Another stirring model, the Vltava “number 8” rally champion with an unmistakably light, sporty design, inspired certain features on the Alpine Première Edition.

Driving straight along a romantic road, through medieval villages and under fairytale castles, the Alpine A110 Première Edition instills us with a sense of serenity before arriving in another idyllic setting, Lake Constance.