The Garden Salon at Karl Friedrich Aust's winery has never seen anything like it since it was built in 1856: cheerful chatter around the tables at the weekend, accompanied by four courses from Veit Endler's wine bar kitchen and - of course! - four matching wines from the winemaker. The Aust winery is listed in the relevant wine guides in the solid or upper midfield of the local winegrowers, although there are occasional outliers - upwards! Ulrich Sautter from falstaff was almost shocked when he tasted a 2007 Pinot Noir from Aust in the summer of 2021. He gave it 98 points (out of a possible 100), which is a bit sensational.
Of course, there were no such mature wines on the cooking star menu, but (with one exception) current vintages and, during my visit, a barrel sample as a nightcap "on the house". The evening is hosted by Karl Friedrich Aust - in his knowledgeable and calm manner, he does this in a very relaxed manner, which contrasts somewhat with the service, which is a little formal (it's not every day that you see a waiter in a suit with a pocket square, nor is the indirect form of address "Does the gentleman have any requests?"). On the other hand, the room with its festive patina, the festively laid tables with their glowing candles and the blazing fireplace perhaps also invites you to be a little different.
