I arrived in Bavaria ready for beer. I never expected to fall for its wine or the region that produces it, Franconia. The Franken Wine Country boasts an identity distinct from the popular impression of Southern Germany as a fairy-tale land of snow capped mountains, quaint villages, and Oktoberfest. The Franken people are great wine drinkers and have been so for over twelve centuries. It's not uncommon to see grapevines growing in residential neighborhoods. Though not as world famous as the vintages of the Rhein-Mosel Valley, Franken wine includes remarkable dry whites-Silvaner and Müller-Thurgau-and popular reds-Portugieser and Schwarzreisling. Almost all are bottled in the bocksbeutal, a squatty, bulbous bottle that has been the trademark of Franken wine for almost two hundred years. Experts may want to visit specific vintners or a weinstuben (wine tavern) in order to sample the best selections. Franken wine is available in almost all restaurants in the region, no matter if the establishment prepares German, Italian, or Asian food. Whether you speak German or not, the important terms to know when tasting wine are trocken (dry), halbtrocken (semi-dry), and süss (sweet).
If you are an amateur, like myself, or enjoy a good party, I recommend participating in one of the numerous summer weinfeste (wine festivals) in order to get a flavor of how the Franken people celebrate their wine. For me, it happened in Iphofen. This town dates back to the eight century, and like many German towns, it has a rich and complex history. Yet, it is the wine-making that makes Iphofen well known in Franconia, though Iphofen itself rarely registers a reference in popular guidebooks. Within its walls, however, I experienced the hospitality, the culture, and the enthusiasm that defines the region. The set-up of any given weinfest varies according to the size and geography of a town's stadtmitte (town center), but generally there are rows of tables and benches, surrounded by booths selling food and wine and a stage for the band. People wander through the crowds with baskets of wine to sell, much as hot dog vendors roam the bleachers at a baseball game. The music at weinfeste is always a curious blend of traditional toasting songs, American pop, and contemporary European hits. For example, it's not uncommon for a popular German song to follow a cover of John Denver's "Country Road." The people sharing our table in Iphofen did not speak English, but we all linked up arms and swayed back and forth to the music of a German folk song, said "Prost" (roughly Cheers!), and clinked glasses. As the evening passed into the early hours of morning, the wine continued to flow, the crowds increased, and the festive spirit culminated with people surfing the benches cheering with the music.
If you are an amateur, like myself, or enjoy a good party, I recommend participating in one of the numerous summer weinfeste (wine festivals) in order to get a flavor of how the Franken people celebrate their wine. For me, it happened in Iphofen. This town dates back to the eight century, and like many German towns, it has a rich and complex history. Yet, it is the wine-making that makes Iphofen well known in Franconia, though Iphofen itself rarely registers a reference in popular guidebooks. Within its walls, however, I experienced the hospitality, the culture, and the enthusiasm that defines the region. The set-up of any given weinfest varies according to the size and geography of a town's stadtmitte (town center), but generally there are rows of tables and benches, surrounded by booths selling food and wine and a stage for the band. People wander through the crowds with baskets of wine to sell, much as hot dog vendors roam the bleachers at a baseball game. The music at weinfeste is always a curious blend of traditional toasting songs, American pop, and contemporary European hits. For example, it's not uncommon for a popular German song to follow a cover of John Denver's "Country Road." The people sharing our table in Iphofen did not speak English, but we all linked up arms and swayed back and forth to the music of a German folk song, said "Prost" (roughly Cheers!), and clinked glasses. As the evening passed into the early hours of morning, the wine continued to flow, the crowds increased, and the festive spirit culminated with people surfing the benches cheering with the music.
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