We are planning to spend a couple nights exploring Black Forest area in October.
Any Suggestions for good city or town to use as a base? We like to see some vineyards & winery also
We stayed in Gengenbach on our trip to the BF in 2014. Nice quaint little town. Our inn was the Gasthof Hirsch, a short walk to the train station. The hotels will give you a KONUS card that allows you to ride the regional trains for free within the BF. One day we went to Triberg, another day to Strasbourg, and another day we took our rental car and just explored. Discovered a little gem of a town called Schiltach and also the Vogtsbauernhof Museum, an outdoor collection of old farmhouses, some dating back to the 16th century.
Info on wine-growing regions of the Black Forest area:
http://www.blackforest-tourism.com/discovery/food-and-trinks/wine-enthusiasts
Agreed, Gengenbach is adorable and a good base town for outings. The Black Forest Railway towns (Gengenbach is one) are good sightseeing targets... Villingen, Triberg, Haslach and Gutach (visit the Vogtsbauernhof open-air museum) are all worthwhile. Schiltach (on an offshoot railway line but accessible by direct train from Gengenbach) is also lovely. As Alexandra indicates, the KONUS card makes train travel free. Take the train to all the above places, relax and enjoy the great scenery. Here's a map. The dotted line is the BF Railway; the solid line from Hausach to Freudenstadt is where you'll find Schiltach.