Gourmet-Experience: Germany 2008

Hosted by Peter Blattmann

The extraordinary aromatic richness and minerality of German Rieslings are due to the combination of one of the world’s coolest wine-growing regions and a grape variety that is so late ripening that theoretically it shouldn’t be able to ripen there at all. German Rieslings range in style from magnificently austere dry wines to thrilling super sweet and everything in between. Although Riesling is lovely when young, the fact is that good Riesling needs time. Once you start drinking mature Riesling, you’ll be wondering why nobody else is in on the secret. Mosel Riesling excels in the fruity style, displaying precision balance between fruit, sweetness, and acidity, while the Rheingau wines exibit a firm structure.

DAY 1 Monday, September 14 (L, D) – Trier - Bernkastel
Upon arrival at Frankfurt airport we will travel by coach to Trier to visit Germany’s oldest city landmarks, a multitude of Roman monuments including the Porta Nigra, all UNESCO World-Cultural Heritage sites. After lunch we will visit Dr. Von Schubert Maximin Grunhaus, St-Urbanshof or other wineries. Time to relax at Wine Romantik Hotel Richtershof near Bernkastel, where we will stay for 3 nights. Dinner at the hotels award-winning ‘Culinarium’ restaurant.

DAY 2/3 Tuesday/Wednesday, September 15/16 (B, 2-L, 1-D) - Moselle
We will board a river steamer to cruise the Moselle, lined with the world’s steepest vineyards, villages of enormous charm and lot’s of historic castles. We climb atop the ‘Bernkasteler Doctor’, one of Germany’s most famous vineyard. The proximity to France and Luxembourg inspired the cuisine and we will dine at award-winning restaurants. Time to visit historic Bernkastel, the home of some of the world’s most renowned Riesling producers.

Wineries: We will choose among Fritz Haag, JJ Pruem, Dr. Loosen, Wwe Dr. Thanisch Erben Estate, Markus Molitor and others.

DAY 4/5/6 Thursday/Friday/Saturday, September 17/18/19 (B, 3-L, 2-D)-Rheingau
We will visit famous wineries overlooking the Rhine Valley, dine at some of the regions best restaurants and visit historic villages with its narrow streets and picturesque houses with pointed gables. We will learn from the famous chef at our hotel Kronenschlosschen
(where we will stay for 3 nights), how to prepare our own dinner and pair it with with the best wines the region has to offer. We will tour Schloss Johannisberg, a historic landmark of the German wine industry. After cruising the Rhine River past steep vineyards, quaint villages and huge, formidable fortresses we will give you time to enjoy Rudesheim famed ‘Drosselgasse’.

Wineries: We will choose among , Robert Weil, Balthasar Ress, Schloss Schonborn, Schloss Vollrads and others.

Gruner Veltliner – Austria’s most widely planted grape variety has skyrocketed to prominence, ever since 2002 when it bested ‘grand cru’ chardonnays from Burgundy in a blind tasting in London. It has captured the heart not only of Austrians, but of top critics, sommeliers and connoisseurs around the world. The Wachau, Kamptal and Kremstal are home to the estates identified of producing the top wines. Ripening late, sometimes until mid-November, GV needs mild, long autumns, leading to highly concentraded, weighty wines.

DAY 7 Sunday, September 20 (B L) – Vienna
Upon arriving we will visit the supremely civilized city that for 600 years was the capital of the Habsburg empire. We will explore the heart of old Vienna including the house in which Mozart lived and worked plus many other renowned sites. No visit to Vienna would be complete without experiencing the making of Austria’s signature pastry, the ‘Viennese Apfelstrudel’. After lunch at one of the city’s unique restaurants where we will savor typical ‘Viennoise cuisine’, time to relax at our hotel, the ‘ Rathaus Wine & Design’. The rest of the day is on your own to shop or visit some of Vienna’s most historic Coffee Houses.

Day 8/9/10 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, September 21-23 (B, 3-L, 2-D)
We will travel by coach to visit Austria’s most renowned wineries in the Wachau, Kamptal and Kremstal wine regions. Along the way we will taste regional delicacies at award-winning restaurants and partake in a Hand’s-On cooking lesson, followed by dinner at one of the region’s most unique restaurants. We will cruise the Danube past centuries-old castels and abbeys clinging to towering cliffs, quaint villages and terraced vineyards. Our accommodation for 3 nights will be at the historic Schloss Durnstein.

Wineries: We will choose among Schloss Gobelsburg, Brundlmayer, Hirtsberger, Knoll, FX Pichler, Prager, Malat, Salomon-Undhof and others.

DAY 11 Thursday, September 25 (B)
Transfer to airport
Those who stay on may want to enjoy great concerts and operas at historic palaces.

Cost per person, based on double occupancy C$ 12.000
Includes accommodation in 4-5-star hotels, wine tastings, meals and excursions as outlined, baggage handling, gratuities, transfers, local taxes and service charges.
International airfares are not included.

To secure your reservation, 50% of the tour cost is due. Balance is due 90 days prior of date of departure and is totally non-refundable. Written cancellation will be accepted up to 90+ days of date of departure and refund of toal monies paid to date, minus a C$ 1.000 cancellation fee. Rates quoted are based on current tariffs and exchange rates and are subject to change without advance notice.

Program is based on information available at time of print and is therefore subject to minor changes.