A greeting from the kitchen is often part of larger menus - as a tasty introduction to what's to come in the next hour or two. At Anna im Schloss, however, the service also sends a greeting as part of the cooking star hours, and a really great one at that: The four-course menu is accompanied by wines from the Schuh winery in Saxony - and a glass of sparkling wine is now added as a surprise greeting. Incidentally, the debut was premiered at the Semper Opera Ball, which took place just in time for the start of the Kochsternstunden. The base wines for this sparkling wine come from Pinot Blanc grapes from the 2023 vintage and were matured half in stainless steel tanks and half in wooden barrels. After traditional bottle fermentation, the sparkling wine matured on the fine lees for 16 months. From the base wine to the disgorgement, each bottle was produced entirely at the winery.
This was a tasty, sparkling start - and also a good introduction to the topic of Saxon wine. For Tim Graul, who has been running Anna im Schloss since April 2022, one thing is clear: "The Cooking Star Hours are intended to strengthen the region's gastronomy - but we also want to support our regional suppliers!" A good and important idea that is clearly reflected in the menu: the char in the second course comes from Forellenhof Ermisch, the cheek of the Saxon straw pig has the Genießergenossenschaft Sachsen as a proven source (they were winners of the Innovation Award Animal Welfare 2024).
