The times invite complaining - but laughing is healthier, they say. And when the German Wine Institute announces today that "based on the commissioned analysis of the wine market by NielsenIQ ... in Germany, the quantities of wine purchased and the sales achieved with it fell by around seven percent compared to the previous year" because "less wine was purchased less frequently and less per household", then this is not exactly cheering news for a specialist retailer. But: you can do something! Matthias Gräfe and his team at Radebeul Wein&fein, for example, have been thinking about this for some time and have been observing the customers in the store and in the adjoining bistro. After all, good sparkling wines are the order of the day - and tasty, characterful alternatives to wine are becoming increasingly popular. Which is why this year's cooking star menu (like last year's) offers both. And because both accompaniments are comparable in terms of craftsmanship and therefore also price, guests can switch easily: here the Proxy, there the mature Pinot Noir. As you like it, as Shakespeare so aptly put it.
Tom Kha Gai soup is usually served with chicken as a broth or as a meat garnish. Manuela Engelmann-Tyralla had prepared this one in the kitchen as a vegetarian (or even vegan, I didn't pay enough attention when explaining...) version. As is so often the case, nothing was missing - and the carrot and cabbage pesto is the very best. Not only visually, but also in terms of taste, a nice counterpoint to the soup made from the unjustly frowned upon turnip! The soup was accompanied by wine - a tart Riesling from the Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken winery on the Saar. They only have great vineyards, but this was an estate wine. The best price-to-drink ratio ever and (not for the first time) a wine that really benefits from the slight residual sweetness - with the soup, but also a pleasure on its own.
First beet, then yellow beetroot - and now? Brussels sprouts! Yes, there are many vegetables in winter that we have eaten in strange preparations. But with a little imagination, you can always try something different, perhaps unusual: Brussels sprouts as leaves and small pieces in a cold salad, dressed in Asian style and therefore not at all the classic German winter vegetable. The truffled meatloaf was correspondingly tender, so that this course (also) had something light about it. As Torsten Ebert said at the beginning (when we asked whether the six courses were manageable?): the aim is that nobody leaves hungry - but nobody has to be wheeled to the station either. So far, it's gone down well - and while we're on the subject: during the week - i.e. on Tuesdays - the menu can also be ordered as a three-course meal. "Guests had requested this because they didn't have time for a long evening, but still wanted to try it out," says Matthias Gräfe, explaining the addition to the menu.
