If you don’t mind getting your shoes and hands dirty, consider
venturing into a local vineyard to learn what goes into producing wine.
Weingut Eberbacher
Hof owner Helmut Rappenecker takes guests into his
vineyard near the
The vineyard is situated on the slopes of the Taunus
Mountains above the
Eberbacher Hof dates back to 1112 with the basement and foundation of
the original structure still in existence. The half-timbered manor dates to
1670 and has remained largely unchanged since that time.
Weingut Eberbacher Hof is considered to be
the “cradle” of the wine town of
The
scenery and the experience make the grape picking excursion to the Weingut one of the most popular events offered by the
Wiesbaden Community Spouses Club. This year the group had to book two days at
the Weingut in order to accommodate demand.
“It
doesn’t get any better than this. You are taking part in something. You’re
picking grapes that are going to go into a bottle of wine,” said WCSC member
Paige West.
“It’s just something we can’t do in the
States,” commented Michele Milford, who was participating in her third grape
picking outing. “It’s getting out and experiencing the culture of
“It gives a new appreciation for winemaking. I love the
smells — the scents that you smell — you can taste in the wine,” said Brenda
Konop.
The grape picking excursion included harvesting the fruit in
the morning, a short wine break and then a lunch of traditional regional
specialties with a selection of wines produced by the Weingut
and a tour that included an explanation of the wine making process.
A
hard-earned lunch
After all of that a hearty, satisfying lunch was a welcome
repast.
“Lunch is soup, mashed potatoes, ham roast, red cabbage, Apfel strudel with whipped cream and my wine,” said Rappenecker, who studied at the Henkel factory in
The meal is served family-style with Rappenecker
sitting at the table with the guests and telling them about the food and the
grapes used for his wines. It resembled the atmosphere of a family reunion with
everyone passing dishes, serving themselves, sharing stories and enjoying the
food.
“I’ve never had red
cabbage this good anywhere,” raved Judy Buhlman.
“The whipped cream is
homemade,” said Konop when the strudel was served warm from the oven complete
with a dollop of whipped cream on top.
“This stuff is what
During the meal Rappenecker allowed
guests to peruse the wine menu, and he was happy to provide samples of wines he
had not already brought out. Especially coveted by some of the ladies was the
white spätburgunder, a white wine which is made from
a red grape.
German-American
friendship
Rappenecker said the day was “a good example of
German-American friendship,” as he toasted his guests and thanked them for
their hard work. “I am very glad for you to be here.”
It is possible to experience Weingut
Eberbacher Hof without the labor of picking grapes.
“We do ‘hail and farewell’ parties for up to 50, and we do
wine tasting with a meal for groups of 10 or more by reservation, or we do
simply wine tastings,” said Rappenecker, adding that
all wines produced by the Weingut are made from
grapes he grows in his vineyard.
In warmer months from May through August the Weingut operates a restaurant that features a small menu of
regional specialities and wine tasting.
The Weingut also participates in
some local bazaars and fests and is a stop on one of the USO Rheingau tours.
Weingut Eberbacher
Hof is located in the
For more information about upcoming WCSC events, visit the
garrison home page at www.wiesbaden.army.mil/sites/services/wcsc.asp.