In the charming French village of Beaune, a city of about 22.000 inhabitants, there's something almost sacred about tasting a wine, as if the outside world goes quiet for a moment so the greatest expressions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir can manifest and be praised.
In many cultures there is a suggestion to believe, since childhood, that death should be rejected as it is intertwined with fear. They grow up absorbing this as a concept intrinsically related to destruction and suffering. Therefore, when it's time for a beloved one to depart, even the most peaceful or necessary goodbyes are seen as the worst thing that could happen.
In 1316 Johannes von Steren founded Bürgerspital, which is still recognized as a center for social assistance for the needy elderly. Because many of these socially originated and business-backed businesses must create ways of subsisting, Bürgerspital has found a very smart and prosperous way to do so: producing wine.
In any space dedicated to gastronomy in the city of Würzburg, two things are taken very seriously: ambiance and drink. Any self-respecting bar or restaurant takes very seriously the space in which it is inserted along with its decor, as well as its drinks menu, dedicated to the Franconian region.
Regardless of your personal taste regarding the wine culture, it is undisputed how much Germany’s countryside reveals vineyards of extreme organization and beauty. In Rothenburg op der Tauber, one of the most attractive places to go for a walk - or do sports such as hiking, jogging, cycling - is the Tauber Valley.
I had the privilege of being welcomed by the sommelier Sebastian Mac Lachlan Muller, representative of August Kesseler, who proposed a very special vintage tasting followed by a tour of the winery. Kesseler has been in the market since 1984 and began his production focusing on red pinot noir.
Whenever I close my eyes, I can still feel the sensation produced by the landscape around the River Rhine when I visited tiny Assmanshausen am Rhein. It is almost a village, right beside the town of Rüdesheim am Rein, but hardly ever considered in most sightseeing tours. The entire town is part of UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
There are about 4,600 square meters of cultivated area for wine production in the Rheingau region. Its geography is privileged: a variety of soil in harmony with the climate that guarantees the perfect terroir for Riesling and Spatburgunder (pinot noir) grapes.