Uncorking

After a recurring incidence with my car put me on the way to the garage in Rüsselsheim, a sunny day and the rental car drove me to Rüdesheim am Rhein, to see for the first time, the place free of the usual hordes of tourists.

After a pleasant walk under the sun and wondering once again, what makes Rüdesheim such a popular attraction having Germany much nicer villages, I landed in Schloss Vollrads in the neighbouring Oestrich-Winkel. Nice Schloss with a -fond to me word nowadays- vinotheke.

Ready to put into practice my recently learned skills, I asked to taste four wines. It felt a bit awkward doing this in a place outside the classroom, with the added difficulty that the tasting glasses provided by the winery were way too big, with way too little wine. That really gives a professional (to be) taster an added challenge.

I looked around, they even had a spittoon on the counter top and all I needed was time, and a break from the lady serving the wines, whom I guess does not get people with my aspirations on a daily basis.

So I did my thing, at first a bit hesitant and in a shy way, and bought a case of wine and headed towards my next tasting experience.

After 7 years in Germany, not only my German is not the best (to say the least) but I must confess, I will leave this country not understanding the 'Umleitung' signals. So I landed in centre of a road literally under construction with an amazed group of workers looking at me and not believing I had gotten that far. In these occasions it just comes so handy to sound awfully not German and even pull out a couple of apologetic words in a foreign language... Oooopsy.

Back on a practicable road I made my way to Schloss Reinhartshausen, a must 'go back every year place since 2008' to buy my very much liked Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen Riesling.

Once in the vinothek, I had a look to the wines in display, took a seat, asked to taste four wines, asked for a glass of water and started with the procedure. This time everything went smooth, when the lady saw that I was going to take my time, that I was not in a hurry whatsoever, writing down my comments, she left me there and ended up encouraging me to taste six more.

So this is how, by 4 o'clock I was the proud owner of 25 new bottles of wine. Such is life.

Salud!