Wine and Food of Formula 1: 11th Race – German Grand Prix, Hockenheim, Germany

updated 7/25/10 – race results and added overview of regional food section

This is the eleventh in the series of articles called “Wine and Food of Formula 1″ to help provide a taste of the world of Formula One for those new to it and for those that have been fans all their lives.  It is about the racing venue in this case, Hockenheim in the region/district of Rhein-Neckar in the state of Baden Wuerttemberg (also spelled Wurttemberg) in Germany.

I write an overview of travel info, a bit of history, culture, and its wine and food to wet your appetite to travel to the regions of the world covered. Perhaps you will take a liking to Formula One racing, pick up some knowledge of the area’s wine and food, and hopefully learn something new. All articles are in the same order: (1) recap and stats of prior race, (2) opinion and news on upcoming race, (3) overview of history, culture, economy, and travel information of racing venue’s region, (4) the wine of the region where the race is held, (5) the food of the region the race is held. There will also be links to other websites of interest and video playlists.

What I mainly write about is wine and food and as this article is an overview of several topics around the Formula One racing circuit, I will come back with more extensive articles on wine and food regions of the world over time.

Recap and Thoughts of Last Race: British Grand Prix, Silverstone, England

 (link to prior British Grand Prix article) 

1^st  Place – Mark Webber (Australia) for Red Bull Renault.  This is Webber’s 3^rd win for this season. He started in 2^nd position and quickly overtook his teammate Vettel for 1^st and there was no stopping him from that point forward. It is Webber’s 5^th podium finish of the season. Webber is now in 3^rd place with 128 World Driver’s Championship points. Great driving and the man is on mission.

2^nd Place – Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) for McLaren Mercedes. This is Hamilton’s 6^th podium finish of the season. He started from 4th position and he and Webber were one-two for most of the race. Hamilton also showed his great driving skills today, with this 2^nd place finish, he gathered enough championship points to maintain his lead for the FIA World Driver’s Championship with 145 points.

3^rd Place – Nico Rosberg (Germany) for Mercedes GP. This is Rosberg’s ^3rd podium finish of the season. He is now in 6^th place for the World Driver’s Championship with 90 points.

As mentioned, Mark Webber was a man on a mission after learning that the higher ups at Red Bull Renault wanted his teammate Sebastian Vettel’s car to be upgraded with a new front wing for better aero results, but not his racing car. Vettel had pole position going into the race with Webber in 2^nd starting position. When the race started Webber took the lead from Vettel and as Vettel tried to take the lead from Webber, he went off course and busted his tire while doing so. Vettel had to pit and left it in 24^th place (last). Vettel did some great driving though to end the race in 7^th place, but it was Webber that won and I am sure he is very pleased sending Red Bull Renault yet another message.

Some other great driving, Jenson Button (GBR) for McLaren (GBR) finished in 4^th place coming from 14^th starting the race after a terrible qualifying round the day before, he is still in second place in championship points. Kamui Kobayashi (JPN) for Sauber-Ferrari (CHE) is also picking up his game starting in 12^th position to finish in the points in 6^th place. Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) for Force India (IND) also had a great race starting in 20^th and finishing in 11^th. Rubens Barrichello (BRA) for Williams-Cosworth (GBR) is also having better races as time goes by. Michael Schumacher (Germany) for Mercedes GP however, continues to decline a bit but is still in the game. He has finished most races with championship points accumulated for him and his team.

Nico Rosberg racing for Mercedes GP, still continues to do very well coming in 3^rd for the third time this season so far. He also continues to be under the radar, while other drivers from other teams, as well as his own teammate Michael Schumacher get more air and print time, he has been racing very well. He is also very patient for his age and I have never seen him do anything crazy that would put him or his team at risk of losing points, at least not yet. As mentioned in prior articles, he is a driver to watch and as he gains more and more experience we should see more podium finishes, if not wins, barring any mechanical issues.

As far as team domination for the starting grid and pole position, this goes to Red Bull Renault. In nine of the ten races so far this season one of the two drivers won pole position in qualifying for the race. Sebastian Vettel has had pole position five times and Mark Webber four times. Both Red Bull Renault drivers have had either pole or the second position on the first row for all ten races. Another stat, Red Bull can also claim both drivers starting in the first row together four times. This really is amazing. However, tell that to the McLaren team as Hamilton and Button have finished 1-2 or in 1^st or 2^nd more often and this is why the drivers and constructor are leading in championship points.  This could have been a different outcome had there been less in-fighting and some mechanical issues in several races by the Red Bull Renault team.

For latest championship standings please see Championship Standings page above, for the latest points to date for all drivers and constructors. Presently, McLaren Mercedes leads the pack with 278 points for the World Constructor’s Championship and Lewis Hamilton of the McLaren team, and a prior World Driver’s Champion, leads the World Driver’s Championship with 145 points. 

The above video is produced by Red Bull Renault and shows a simulation of one lap in the German Grand Prix at Hockenheimring driven by Mark Webber.

German Grand Prix, Hockenheim, Germany

The Race

The German Grand Prix will be held in Hockenheim, Germany at the Hockenheimring Circuit. The course is 67 laps, has 17 turns, several straights, is among the three fastest courses on the F1 circuit, and is over 2.8 miles long. The German Grand Prix alternates every other year between Hockenheimring and Nurburgring. It has a tough a hairpin turn that most drivers will use to try and overtake others coming out of some very fast straights as well with speeds that can exceed 309 kph/192 miles per hour.  The last race was held in 2008 and Lewis Hamilton won that race.

Like many tracks in Europe, this one goes way back. It was first built back in the 1930s as a motorcycle course and took on some changes in late 1930 that formed the circuit used today. During WWII the course was damaged, but repaired within two years for auto racing and then played host to the very first German Motorcycle Grand Prix in late 1950s. In the 60s the concept of a Motodrom came into play to make the course more spectator friendly. However, it was not until the 1970s that Hockenheimring would become world class in welcoming the Formula One racing to the track. Today the track states that it has a capacity to handle 120,000 spectators, but there is less than that in the stands. The track itself claims to have hosted over 40 million spectators since the circuit opened.

The track is on the Bertha Benz Memorial Route. This route was taken by the wife of what would be the forefather and a founder of Mercedes Benz, Karl Benz. Also known as Carl Benz, he was a mechanical engineer that developed the first motorized car, a three wheeler. His invention was taken lightly and was not trusted. His wife, Bertha, was a strong willed woman and wanted to prove her husband’s invention was sound and solid. It is said that without her husband’s knowledge, that she set out in the third version of this three-wheeler in 1888 that took her and her sons over a long journey that covered many cities and towns making it the first long distance motorized car trip recorded. This also made her husband a well known man and would later take his technology to a new level with the four-wheel automobile. The Mercedes Benz plant and its headquarters are still in Mannheim and Stuttgart.

In the old days of Formula One, each team and/or country had its own car colors that it was known for like British Racing Green was known by both Jaguar and Lotus, the Rosso red by the Italian cars (can anyone say Ferrari??), France was known for blue, and so on. Germany was known for silver and the Mercedes Benz cars were pegged with the name “Silver Arrows”. The Silver Arrows had engines capable of exceeding any other race car in the early years of the sport. Eventually though most German auto racing teams such as Audi, Porsche, BMW also were known for silver arrows. The technologically advanced cars of Germany are among the best in the world then and some say still to this day. Mercedes is powering the McLaren team that is leading in championship points, with Mercedes GP in fourth place currently.

Porsche was also born in this region of Germany and had a somewhat successful history in Formula One, notably with Dan Gurney and Stirling Moss as drivers. It really excelled in other forms of auto racing as did other German car manufacturer Audi. Both Porsche and Audi have made several engineering breakthroughs that were used in Formula One and other forms of auto racing. There have been rumors circulating that Volkswagen is interested in Formula One racing, but I will venture a guess that it will be under their Audi or Porsche brand if that ever happens.

The German Grand Prix is usually very popular and well attended, but like many countries in the world, the German economy is also suffering. Because of that, this race could face much lower attendance than two years ago when the race was held there and in fact it could be one of the lowest turnouts in history. If they do sell out, stay on pace with the last race, or exceed the last race’s attendance it will be a very good sign that despite the problems faced by many Germans, they will still spend disposable income on the Formula One race. This could be wishful thinking. There is plenty for the Germans to root for, if they can afford to go. One reason is that the there are usually several drivers and/or teams or constructors from Germany or have German roots. This year will be no exception. Although many of the same teams that have roots in Britain, some of the same teams have roots in Germany too. Among the current German drivers: Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel, Nico Hulkenberg, Adrian Sutil, and Timo Glock (could not locate a website for him so I used the bio page from his team Virgin Racing). And although some of the teams and constructors have their headquarters or owners that live elsewhere, the only team racing under the German flag is Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team (constructor Mercedes Benz GP Limited) with Schumacher and Rosberg as the drivers. However, two other teams that race under another country’s flag have Mercedes as the constructor with German engineering, the before mentioned McLaren Mercedes and Force India F1 Team/Force India Mercedes.  A side note, BMW was also part of Formula One racing until it pulled out last year, it was the Sauber Team. Now that Ross Brawn owns the Sauber Team, it still goes by BMW Sauber but the engineering is by Ferrari. They often use the name BMW Sauber Ferrari for now, and there was talk that the BMW name would cease by the end of the season.

Germany can also boast about having one of the world’s greatest drivers in Formula One in Michael Schumacher. His history speaks for itself with 91 wins, 7 World Championships, 260 starts, 154 podium finishes, and 68 pole positions. He came out of a three year retirement to drive for his longtime friend Ross Brawn the owner of the Mercedes GP team and has been laboring a bit getting his bearings back. However, he is still one of the most popular sports stars in Germany and there will be many fans there just to see their idol and Shumi (as they affectionately call him) never lets his fans down.

As the championship points are still very close, all the drivers and their teams will be out for more points in this race. Because of this, the race should be exciting to watch and highly charged. Rain is also exepected at some point during the race, this will cause more pit stops for changes in tires and this can always affect a race.

NOTES AND RUMORS:

It appears that the Hispania Racing Team (HRT) is growing a bit impatient with its drivers. Last race in Silverstone, Sakon Yamamoto filled in for Bruno Senna and now it appears that he very well could be replacing Karun Chandhok for the German Grand Prix. As I mentioned in an earlier article, Chandhok was on a thin line as the funding he pledged to the team from his sponsors from India never materialized.

HRT has another problem too, their owner! His legal problems can now affect the team as he was slapped with a lawsuit and it is rumored that his assets have been seized. If that is the case, does this mean a court appointed trustee will run this team for awhile?? Let’s hope not!

Talk again about another American city on the circuit for 2012 — let’s hope so. New York or New Jersey are being mentioned again, but like all negotiations under way, if they are, there is always a lot disinformation to confuse media and others. Northern California would be nice — Monterey or Sonoma perhaps? They already have road courses and could get up and running quickly after some upgrading is done, even Sacramento all have some nice wine regions and great food too! Bottom line, just get another U.S. venue. Oh, and a U.S. team and/or driver would also help increase the U.S. market and bring in a new fan base — listening Bernie??

South Africa and Russia are other possible venues mentioned for future races.

TUNE-IN:

Friday, July 23, 2010 – Practice. Practice runs are mainly to fine tune the cars and drivers by testing the track, crew, and the cars. If in the United States, this will be on live on Speed Channel at 8:00 am ET/5:00 am PT. 

Saturday, July 24, 2010 – Qualifying. This will determine the starting grid for the race and will determine pole position (inside 1st row) in the final round. The starting grid this year will have twelve rows of two cars each. There are three qualifying rounds. The first round eliminates seven drivers/teams from moving forward to the next round. The second qualifying round will do the same, taking out the bottom seven drivers/teams, leaving the fastest ten. The third and final qualifying round will take the final ten drivers/teams and will determine the first five row of the starting grid. It is a little more complicated than just fastest lap speed and there are situations where it is possible that a driver with a faster lap could end up in the back seven rows. In the United States, this will be live on Speed Channel at 8:00 am ET/5:00 am PT.

After Qulifications the starting line up will be (first five rows only):

1st Row: Sebastian Vettel (Germany), Pole Position, racing for Red Bull Racing Renault; and Fernando Alonso (Spain) racing for Ferrari

Note: Red Bull Renault’s drivers have now won pole position for 10 of the 11 races so far this season. This will mark Vettel’s 6^th pole position for the season.

2nd Row: Felipe Massa (Brazil) for Ferrari; and Mark Webber (Australia) for Red Bull Renault

 3rd Row: Jenson Button (Great Britain) racing for McLaren Mercedes; and Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) racing for McLaren Mercedes

4th Row:  Robert Kubica (Poland) racing for Renault; and Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) racing for Williams-Cosworth 

5th Row:  Nico Rosberg (Germany) racing for Mercedes GP; and Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) racing for Williams-Cosworth

Sunday, July 25, 2010 – RACE DAY. In the US, Speed Channel will not be covering this, will be aired instead live on the Fox Broadcast or Speed Channel networks at 12:00 pm ET/9:00 am PT.

Please note that in a few prior articles I have called Speed Channel, Sports Channel. I have revised the articles where that occurred. Hopefully, now you will be able to find the listing! 

Updated 7/25/2010 1:00 p.m. – Race Results:

1^st  Place – Fernando Alonso (Spain) for Ferrari 

2^nd Place – Felipe Massa (Brazil) for Ferrari

3^rd Place – Sebbastian Vettel (Germany) for Red Bull Renault

In my opinion, the win by Alonso today was very controversial. See Race Stats and Opinion for F1 2010 Season update link below.

McLaren-Mercedes still leads in the FIA World Constructor’s Championship with 300 points, followed by Red Bull Renault with 272 points then in 3^rd place is Scuderia Ferrari with 208 points after the win today.

Full results, stats, and recap of race on “Race Stats and Opinion for F1 2010 Season” page (see below for direct link where it says “updated”). For most current Championship points, please go to “2010 Formula 1 World Championship Standings” (see below for direct link where it says “updated”). 

You should go to the special page I set up called Formula 1: Intro, Wine, and Food for more detailed information on F1, race schedule, Race Stats and Opinion for F1 2010 Season (updated 7/25/10),  2010 Formula 1 World Championship Standings (updated 7/25/10), links to all teams, drivers, racing circuits, and organizations that have websites to further your knowledge and enjoyment of the sport. You will also find a real-time television schedule of air time for the races on Speed Channel. This page will supplement the individual articles that I write and will also serve as an archive when the racing season ends and for the series of articles.

NEXT UP: Hungarian Grand Prix on August 1, 2010 (race day) at 12:00 pm ET. As this does not give me much time, I hope to get an article out. If I do it will be published on or before July 31, 2010. 

A Brief Background on History, Culture, Customs

Germany 

Like so many major countries covered in this series, there is only so much that can be covered in an overview. In my earlier articles I did get into the history more of the countries themselves and found that with all the other topics covered, that I was simply running out of time to get these out in time. Because of this, the latter articles in this series have been mainly focused on the actual regions the races were held and this will continue here as well. I will come back more extensively to the wines and food of the world at a later time.

Germany is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia and is Europe’s largest economy, now that it is united after tearing down the Berlin Wall in 1990, and is said to be the fifth largest economy in the world with a GDP (PPP) of over 2.8 trillion. Germany is in Central Europe and borders many countries Austria, Denmark, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Poland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. The country itself has over 82 million people (est. 2010), the official language is German, with over half the population following either the Roman Catholic or Protestant faiths. The capital of Germany, since the unification, is Berlin, which is also its largest city.

Germany is known for many things its cars (and Autobahn), wine, beer (the real Oktoberfest celebration), castles, beautiful rivers, lakes and landscapes, cuckoo clocks, horses, wonderful people, cuisine, and so much more.

Germany has 16 recognized federal states: Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenberg, Bremen, Hamberg, Hessen (Hesse), Lower Saxony, Mecklenberg-Western Pomerania, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswog-Holstein, and Thuringia.

As the race is held in Hockenheim in the state of Baden Wuerttemberg in the region Kurpfalz (Palatinate) and the district of Rhein-Neckar, I will concentrate on this area.

State: Baden Wuerttember

The federal state of Baden Wuerttemberg is in Southwest Germany bordering Switzerland and Austria to the south and France to the west. It also borders the German states of Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Bavaria. It is one of Germany’s most popular tourist destinations and is the third largest state in Germany with an estimated population of around 10.8 million people. It also has one of Germany’s youngest populations, perhaps to its 9 universities, 20 private higher education establishments, 6 colleges in education, 8 universities of cooperative education, 25 universities of applied sciences, and its many other colleges and academies. It also has the most solar powered systems in all of Germany and has several famous rivers running through it: Rhine, Danube, Kocher, Jagst, and Neckar. It also has the largest fresh water lake in the world, Lake Constance.

Stuttgart is the capital of Baden Wuerttember.

There are several regions and holiday regions within this state, most notably: Black Forest, Tauber Valley, Swabian Alb, Stuttgart, Odenwald, Kurpfalz; Lake Constance and Upper Swabia; Kraichgau Stromberg; and Hohenlohe and Schwabisch. The state also has 35 districts (Kreise) and there are 9 independent cities (Stadtkreise) that are not part of any district: Baden-Baden, Heidelberg, Stuttgart, Mannheim, Ulm, Freiburg im Breisgau, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe, and Pforzheim. The history of this state is endless and it is enriched with pieces of that history throughout the region with its castles, cathedrals and churches, historical landmarks and trails. It also has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. It has sophisticated cities with the hottest nightclubs, entertainment, has Germany’s best opera house, sports, parks, waterways, alps, forests, culture, shopping, and I can go on and on.

This state can also claim that it has the most starred restaurants throughout its regions, districts, and independent cities.

Kurpfalz Region/Rhein-Neckar Kreise (District)

To narrow this down to the area around Hockenheim were the race is being held, the region is Kurpfalz (Electoral Palatinate) and the district (kreise) is Rhein-Neckar, one of the 35 districts mentioned above. This area also includes two of the independent cities mentioned above: Mannheim and Heidelberg. 

Heidelberg Castle

Kurpfalz is full of beauty and landmarks. For more than 600 years what is now known as the Kurpfalz region played an important part in the Holy Roman Empire. It has one of the most famous castles in the world, the

Heidelberg Castle visited by over 3.5 million people a year and in fact, there are many mountains, gardens and castles in this region. There is a route called The Castle Road that has over 80 castles and fortresses that runs west to east from Mannheim all the way to Prague.

Rhein-Neckar Kreise (district) has over 2.3 million residents and is a growing community filled with diversity. It also loves its festivals: jazz, dance, musical theater, classical music, photography, art, wine, beer, food, you name it they have a festival for it. They even have a festival for all of their castles. There are estimates that the top ten festivals alone attract 300,000+ people a year. The dining, clubs, entertainment, amusements, and sporting events, like the Formula One race, are also reasons why this area is very popular not with just tourists, but with Germans alike. This district also has the Rhein (Rhine) and Neckar Rivers running through it so there is a lot to do with water recreation and long leisurely strolls and meals by the water. This district also borders and is part of many of the wine regions making up the wine trail.

Hockenheim

Hockenheim is located in the Northwest part of Baden Wuerttember. According to some it is estimated that what is now the town of Hockenheim goes back to 2,000 years B.C. and in the 17^th century it was known for its tobacco trade and cigars. It was also known for its asparagus but that and the tobacco trade are no longer a major part of their economy, although they do have a tobacco museum and there are certain areas in the region known for its white asparagus. The population of Hockenheim has an estimated 21,000 people. Within easy driving distance are two major cities Mannheim and Heidelberg, both unique in their culture and things to do.

It is also home to the Motorsport Museum next to the track at Hockenheimring and in the heart of the city stands an art nouveau water tower. It is a bit of new and old, history while development expands into the future.

There are several places to stay, including several private homes for rent, rooms for rent, or various smaller hotels and motels, including the Hotel Motordrom at the Hokenheiming race track where you can walk to the race. As far as dining in Hockenheim, there are several choices from deli to fine dining. However, in the nearby cites of Heidelberg or Mannheim there are more overall choices. I have provided a few dining options from the three cities that have websites that were found, this is not an endorsement of one over the other and there are many restaurants to choose from that do not have websites. However, if they do have websites and are not listed, I found there were problems with the sites. You will need Google Translate (see link below under Wine) or other translation services if you do not read German, as many of these do not have English versions. Some are also in hotels if looking for interesting places to stay:

Et-Cetera

Hotel am Flugplatz

Brauerei zum Stadtpark

Wirtshaus Guldener Engel

Herrenmuhle (Heidelberg)

Palmbrau Gasse (Heidelberg) 

Weisserbock (Heidelberg)

Schwarz das  (Heidelberg)

Ritter (Heidelberg)

Kulturbrauerei (Heidelberg)

Hackteufel (Heidelberg)

Molkenkur (Heidelberg)

Maxim’s  (Mannheim)

Steigenberger  (Mannheim)

Badischer Hof (Mannheim)

C-Five  (Mannheim)

Gesellschaftshaus (Mannheim) 

le Corange (Mannheim)

Skyline (Mannheim)  

The Wine 

Back in 2002 the Verband Deutscher Pradikatsweinguter (VDP), the Association of German Pradikat Wine Estates passed a resolution that would label the wines under the VDP with classifications of quality and type. They are:

Erste Lage (Grosse Gewachse / Erste Gewachse tend to be from the Rheingau region and be more dry wines / Pradikats tend to be the best sweet wines). These classifications are reserved for the best wines, the top in class.

Klassifizierte Lagenweine (Other Names: Klassifizierte Lage / Ortswein / Terroirwein). Superior wines that come only from classified vineyards (will not allow other vineyard names or grapes to be used).

Guts-u und Ortsweine (another name Gutswein). This is the lowest level designated for higher quality proprietary wines (house type wines) that reflect the regional quality standards set by the VDP.

This is rather complicated especially as they appear not to have a uniform understandable labeling system in my opinion. There are multiple terms used for classifications based on many things that can be confusing for the consumer that the VDP is actually trying to inform. It is also confusing for non Germans, as there are multiple ways to spell the names and can often be translated incorrectly. They can differ for sweet or dry wines, area, and other things as well. I will get more into this at a later time when I cover wines of Germany more extensively.  Of course the Erste Lage is considered the top of the line wines. However, I have stated in past articles that classification bodies, for most part, only designate wineries/vineyards that are members of their regional VDP. It does not necessarily mean that an unclassified wine from a region that does not have a VDP or that is not a member winery/vineyard has lower quality standards. Wine labeling, like ratings in my opinion, are not always non-objective. I always say that if you like a wine then it is a great wine regardless of what others say and I will continue to do say this in future articles as well. Wine is a matter of your personal taste and it is ultimately up to you to determine what you like or not. All our palates are different, which means you should use wine classifications, reviews, awards, ratings, and opinion only as guidance.

Germany has 13 designated wine regions. As mentioned I will come back more extensively with wines and food of the world in future articles. The one wine region I will concentrate on and provide an overview on is the one closest to Hockenheim and in the district of Rhine-Neckar. There are several wine regions running through Rhein-Neckar Kreise. There do not appear to be any wineries in Hockenheim itself. There are two wine regions that are very close to Hockenheim itself and they are Baden and Pfalz. I actually think that it is the Baden wine growing region that is the closest, especially its district of Kraichau that is also very close to Heidelberg as well. Because of this, the wine region that I will provide an overview on is the Baden Region and the Kraichau wine district.

Baden Wine Region

This is an area that has a reputation for production of intensely flavored wines with lower acidity. It is in Germany’s southern region at it is said that there are over 41,000 acres.  It is the third largest wine growing region in Germany. It is known for its good soil and mild climate and many have said it is like the conditions in the Mediterranean as it is the warmest and sunniest of German regions, while having summer rainfall for the crops from the Black Forest Mountains and other mountainous areas. Although there are major cities, most of the area has quaint small towns and villages, through forests, mountains, rivers, lakes, and beautiful roadside landscapes. There is even an inactive volcano that of course creates the volcanic soils in many of the areas. As there is such variety of conditions, this makes for very unique and diverse wine production as well. Red wine grapes grown are 45% of production while the white wine grapes are 55% of production. There are over 300 wineries in this region, plus close to 80 vineyards. While most of Germany’s consumption of wine is less than beer, the residents of Baden enjoy their home product by larger margins than the rest of their countrymen by having the highest consumption of wine in Germany.

It is interesting to note that the Baden region formed one of the largest wine cooperatives in Europe in the 1950s that encompasses almost 85% of the total wine growing region. By forming this cooperative, member wineries can choose to share a central winery production complex, easing their costs and keeping to the standards set by their regional VDP.

As Germany is a member of the European Union (EU) this body sets regulations and standards on climate growing zones. All of Germany’s other wine regions are in the EU’s zone A, while Baden is in the more favorable climate zone B. France’s Alsace, Champagne, and Loire Valley also are EU zone B.

There are a variety of wines produced in the Baden region; however at the top of the list is Pinot Noir. The Baden region is among the largest producers of Pinot Noir wine in Germany. The VDP recognizes, among other grapes, Pinot Noir (Spatburgunder), Pinot Blanc (Weisser Burgunder), Pinot Gris (Grauer Burgunder), and Riesling.  

Baden Wine Region is also filled with wine shops, wine bars, clubs, and has an abundance of starred restaurants to choose from.

The Baden Wine Region actually has nine sub-regions and included a few wineries from each sub-region/district that had a website.

You will need to use Google Translator for many websites, you can usually access this by right clicking your mouse and you will see Google Translate or other translator it should translate the site for you. Otherwise, copy URL, then go to Google Translate above and paste in the URL.

Badische-Bergstarsse: Winzergenossenschaft eG Schriesheim, Adam Muller Weingut-Weinkellerei, The Clauer Winery

Breisgau: Weingut Bernhard Huber, Weingut Stadt Lahr – Fam. Wohrle, Weingut Jagle, Weingut Holub

Kaiserstuhl: Weingut Bercher, Weingut Dr. Heger, Weingut Gregor & Thomas Schatzle, Weingut Salwey, Weingut Friedrich Kiefer 

Kraichgau (this district in particular is very close to Hockenheim): Weingut Burg Ravensburg, Weingut Reichsgraf u. Marquis zu Hoensbroech, Staatsweingut Karlsruhe-Durlach, Weingut Karl Hirsch, Weingut Markus Hafner, Wein- & Sektgut Bernd Hummel

Lake Constance (Bodensee):  Weingut Aufricht, Staatsweingut Meersburg, Furst zu Waldburg-Wolfegg-Waldsee, Weingut Markgraf von Baden Schloss Staufenberg

Markgrflerland: Weingut Claus und Susanne Schneider, Privat-Weingut Hartmut Schlumberger, Weingut Schindler, Schlossgut Ebringen

Ortenau: Weingut Schloss Ortenberg, Weingut-Weinhaus Bimmerle KG, Weingut Tobias Koninger

Tauberfranken:  Winzerhof Baumann, Weingut Schlor, Weingut Gunther

Tuniberg: Kalkbodele Weingut Gebrüder Mathis, Weingut Hunn, Weingut Heinrich Gretzmeier 

The Food

First, if you have never been to Germany, dining out tends to be a laid back and a family style affair, unless it is a higher end restaurant. In many restaurants hostesses/hosts are not always present and roles can be a bit different. For one thing, it is not unusual if a restaurant is full and there are some empty seats at your table, you could be asked to share the table. You should feel free to ask too, if you want to meet new friends that is! It is always good to go to the natives (ask your innkeeper or the hotel staff what is customary where you are and of course the restaurant if you can). Also, bills do not often automatically appear when you finish dining, you usually must ask for it. The Germans, especially in the countryside, believe in a leisurely meal and can sometimes stay at a table for a long time – unlike the low to mid price range restaurants that “turn tables” here in the United States.

Also, keep in mind that ice cubes are not automatically added to beverages and you usually must ask for them. Again, it depends on where you are dining. You will find ice cubes available in hotels and restaurants that cater to American tourists and business people. Also, if you are expecting water at your table, you usually have to pay for it. Tipping is also a bit different in parts of Germany and often the higher percentages we show as a thank you for good service can sometimes be less than what we are accustomed as the wait staffs in many German restaurants tend to be better paid than here in the states. Definitely check what is customary and of course if service is great or you just do not know what to do, tip like you do at home and forget about it!

As most of you know from prior articles, I am many nationalities including German. Most all my nationalities have been at war with one another at some point, but I will save that for another day! Because of this though, I like most German food. German food tends to be uniform throughout the country, but there are regional specialties. As this article is about the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, the region of Kurpfalz and the district of Rhein-Neckar, I will try to stay within their favorite foods and specialties. Again, as I state in other articles, what I am providing are basic favorites and specialties. However, there can be many versions of these depending on chef, urban vs. rural areas, fusion style between one city and another, and the like.

As Baden-Wuerttemberg has more starred restaurants than any other you will also find great gourmet dining as mentioned earlier.

Some favorite dishes of this area:

Black Forest Ham. This is a favorite, not just in Germany but throughout the world. It is a cured smoked ham that is used for dinner, lunches, and some even just snack on it with mustard.

Kirschwasser. This is not a food, but a drink. However, it is used in foods often, especially cakes and as an ingredient in fondues. It is a brandy made from fermented black cherry juice. It often goes by “Kirsch”

Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwaldkirschtorte). Now we are talking! This is the most beloved cake in Germany and especially this area where it comes from. It is a chocolate cake made with a cream filling and cherries that have been soaked in Kirschwasser, then has a light chocolate frosting (I have also seen white or cream frosting), with cherries and shaved dark chocolate on top.

Note: Many people think that German Chocolate Cake is from Germany; it was not originated there and is a different cake altogether.

Rahmkuchen (Schwabischer Zwiebelkuchen). This is an onion pie made with eggs, bacon and cream in a dough base.

Spatzle. This is a favorite noodle dish that is often served on the side or under other foods, also used in salads, soups, or as a main dish.

Badische Schaufele. This is a shoulder of pork dish. Pork usually is smoked and cured.

Gaisburger Marsch. Is a soup made of beef, potatoes, vegetables and Spatzle.

Maultaschen. These look like huge ravioli. Made from dough they are stuffed with similar ingredients as well such as spinach, meat, cheese. They can be served with various sauces and toppings or in a soup.

Asparagus. Had to mention this, as this particular area of Germany is known for its white asparagus that is very tasty and used for just about everything from salads, side dishes, fried, in soups, you name it. Many say this area is the asparagus capital of the world (at least for the white variety). The area actually has an asparagus route.

Plum Cake (Badischer Zwetschenkuchen). This is quite good and Baden is known for its succulent plums.

Schupfnudeln. These are fried potato fritters.

Springerie. Is an anise flavored cookie.

Overall German Favorites:

Lebkuchen. Is gingerbread made with sugar, eggs, flour, honey, spices, various nuts, orange and lemon peel, among other ingredients depending on recipe. You will often see gingerbread used in many ways, with chocolate on top, with jelly and marzipan, sugar glazed, and decorated for the holidays.

Gummibaren. Can anyone say Gummi Bears? Yes, that is what these are and they originated in Germany.

Marzipan. Is a confection treat made of sugar and ground almonds.

Reibekuchen/Kartoffelpuffer. This is a German version of the Jewish Latkes for lack of a better comparison. They are potato pancakes and often served with applesauce.

Knodel. These are dumplings and can be made from potatoes, cheese, pork, breadcrumbs and liver.

Sausages. There are numerous varieties of German sausages to fry, steam, broil, bake, or eat cold with all made one of three ways:

1. Scalded (Bruhwurst). There several varieties of this type of sausage, over 800 to be exact. Ingredients can also vary, but the main meats used tend to be pork or beef with some adding bacon, ice, spices, among other things. The term scalded comes from the process of taking fresh sausage varieties and scalding them in hot water or steam. Among the sausage names you will find in Germany are: Frankfurter, Bierwurst, Fleischwurst, Paprikawurst, Jagdwurst, Bierschinken, Bockwurst, Nurnberger, Bratwurst, and the one sausage that can never be left out of an Oktoberfest, Weisswurst. Most are served with sweet or spicy mustards and always goes well with a German beer.
2. Fresh (Rohwurst). There are over 600 varieties of this type of sausage. There are two distinct types, one is spreadable, the other sliceable. Among the many sliceable types, salami and summer sausage. Among the spreadable, various forms of liver that is made into a spread for sandwiches, crackers, and bread. Made from veal, pork, goose, and other meats.  
3. Cooked (kochwurst). These are blood (Blutwurst) or liver (Leberwurst) sausages. Either fresh or scalded and come ready to eat cold or to reheat.  

There is a special meatloaf dish that falls under the sausage category called Leberkase made from minced beef and pork and can be eaten most any way you like such as hot, plain or with a gravy/sauce/or dip, cold for sandwiches, or by itself with mustards.

The Germans know how to do bread as well. There are of course pretzels (brezel), whole grain rye bread (vollkornbrot and katenbrot), pumpernickel made with 100% rye, farm bread (landbrot), among others.

Please note that I often hear from many people that think that Schnitzel is from Germany, it is actually an Austrian dish or I should say they call it their own. There is some debate over where it actually originated with many saying it came from Italy. In Germany it does have a version that is often called a Cutlet, of which a veal cutlet is the most well known. I actually like chicken cutlets/schnitzel myself.

 Cheers then Enjoy!

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