A big day for four female winemakers and four male winemakers from six Saxon wineries: in the ballroom at Hoflößnitz, they have now received their certificates at the end of their three-year training—and as a bonus to mark the completion of their apprenticeship, a bottle of Goldriesling, Saxony’s unique wine. All eight female winemakers (I am deliberately using only the feminine form in this article as a counterpoint to one of the speeches, which referred only to “winemakers,” but their male colleagues are, of course, included)—that is, all eight female winemakers—will remain in Saxony after completing their training, and all eight already have permanent positions.
Felix Hößelbarth, host of Hoflößnitz and chairman of the Saxon Winegrowers’ Association, aptly addressed the issue of Saxon roots in his welcoming speech: “I’m delighted that so many apprentices are staying in the region this year—more than we’ve had in a long time,” he said, immediately following this positive note with another important point: “On the other hand, I think you’re still young, so take advantage of this chance to go somewhere else! Viticulture exists almost everywhere in the world—see how they do it there, and learn from them. But it’s also important that you eventually come back to Saxony and bring all the know-how you’ve absorbed back home with you to contribute to the benefit of Saxon viticulture…”
