On the road from Stellenbosch to the Cape of Good Hope, when driving along the coastline, one passes through the small town of Kalke Bay. When we stopped there to take a walk on the pier we were lucky to find an awesome place for lunch just next to it: The Harbour House Restaurant. We actually enjoyed it so much, that we instantly reserved a table for the next day. And then it was equally as satisfying. Check these pictures and find out why. Read the rest of this entry »

View from the village of Château-Chalon

After that memorable tasting on friday evening we didn’t take much of a break on saturday and went on with a few more bottles. This time we also seized the opportunity for exploring the Jura wine world and with our local hero Didier we probably had the best guide one could get. He calls this region his home and is a great ambassador for the local wines which, as you might know, are packed with character and are probably the opposites of mainstream stereotypes. Read the rest of this entry »

I still remember my military service times where I was employed in a mixed French and German unit, part of the Eurocorps. The main raison d’être of this unit was of course to intensify cooperation and friendship between France and Germany and as a part of this truly European spirit our small company once headed to Chablis in France. Officialy, to visit and inspect an equipment depot of ours which was located in the area; but in reality, we concentrated on indulging some French savoir-vivre, feasting on French Baguette and Pâté while trying some Chablis. Needless to say, this was more a carousal rather than a sophisticated wine tasting and on our way back, the slide door of our military VW bus had to be opened a few times.
But still, this was probably my first real encounter with Chablis and also with the notion of Terroir: a winemaker showed us the fossilized shells for which the soils are famous. Read the rest of this entry »

Stand neulich für ca Eur 20 auf der Restaurant-Karte und wurde aus schierer Neugier und in vollkommener Unkenntnis bestellt. Read the rest of this entry »

Gästehaus Klaus Erfort is maybe not located in the middle of the most fantastic neighbourhood of Saarbrücken. But, stuck in between a tenement and a gas station one finds a beautiful white mansion with a modern extension on the side accomodating the kitchen. From the street, one can observe the chefs through a glass window. Once we passed the entrance, we were directed to the back of the mansion where a quite unique terrasse is located. There you have the most beautiful view on a huge garden with endless lawn and a tiny pavilion on the side. Quite a contrast to the street side of the house and a perfect setting for apéritifs. Read the rest of this entry »

Nebst Riesling baut Gunter Künstler auch noch die beiden „internationalen“ Rebsorten Sauvignon Blanc und Chardonnay an. Den 2005er Chardonnay hatte ich zuletzt hier beschrieben, ist also schon eine Weile her und aus dem Grund haben wir uns diesmal auf einen gereiften Wein eingestellt. Read the rest of this entry »