Yesterday, Bill and I met up with one of Bill’s co-workers and the three of us went to the annual Breitenholzer Weinfest.  We would not have known about the wine festival had Bill’s co-worker, Travis, not stumbled across it last year with his wife.  Travis told Bill about how a winemaking family in Breitenholz was serving and selling their wine during their yearly Weinfest, which happens the last weekend of every August.

Breitenholz is located in Ammerbuch, a county just south of Herrenberg.  Bill and I lived in Ammerbuch the first time we lived in this area, from 2007 until 2009.  It holds a special place in our hearts, since that was where we first experienced life in Baden-Württemberg together.  Bill lived in Bavaria in the late 1980s, well before he knew me, and I had visited the Rhein and Bavaria before we met.  But BW was a new place for both of us during our first tour here.  We lived about two villages south of Breitenholz when we were here the first time, in a town called Pfäffingen.

Ammerbuch is so beautiful!  It’s always nice to visit our old stomping grounds.

Travis had asked Bill if we’d like to accompany him to the wine tasting, since his wife is out of town this weekend.  Bill said yes, although there was a period yesterday during which we wondered if the weather was going to hold for us.  If you live in the Stuttgart area, you may have noticed that the weather suddenly got rainy and chilly yesterday.  I also wasn’t feeling very well.  Fortunately, wine was a good cure for what ailed me and the weather didn’t turn out to be so bad.  We stayed several hours at the fest, enjoying conversation, locally produced wines, light food, and fellowship with wine loving Germans.

Below are some pictures from yesterday’s fun, which continues today, starting at 10:00am.

First thing’s first.  At an event like a Weinfest, proper facilities are a must.

We arrived just before things got into full swing.  You can either go up to the counter and self serve, or wait for one of the young women to wait on you.  Most of the people working yesterday spoke excellent English, but were very willing to let Bill and Travis practice their German.

A small “wine trail”, where one can see the process of making these local wines.

The price list.  There were four wines offered yesterday, all of which I managed to try.  They also had snacks and sandwiches.

Smoking is also allowed.

An inviting road into the orchards.

Travis talked Bill into trying “Schmalzbrot”, which is basically bread smeared with bacon grease and topped with dried onions.  I tasted it myself and enjoyed it, although it’s not the kind of thing my stomach can take too often.  

The men chat while I busied myself with vino and people watching.  A family with two adorable little kids was sitting next to me.  I was amazed by their boy, maybe aged three, who was climbing up and down the tentpole like a little monkey.  He had very impressive upper body strength!

This is a fest for friends.  We saw lots of people gathering, enjoying the food, wine, and fellowship with their neighbors.  It was really kind of cool to be a part of it.

As we were leaving, Bill and Travis decided to buy some wines.

Lots of people were enjoying the fest yesterday, despite the showers and clouds in the sky.  There are more tables behind the tents, too.

And there’s something for the kids to do while the adults enjoy the wines or non alcoholic beverages, like coffee and Apfelschorle.

We were blessed with beautiful skies as the sun was starting to set.

The guys and their haul.

There’s plenty of free parking.  You just have to walk up a slight hill to find the festival.

Germany is so pretty.

 

As I mentioned before, the fest continues today, starting at 10:00am.  If you are in the area and inclined to try some rustic German wines, I highly recommend visiting.