Gutedeltag

Once every two years on Ascension Day, the L125 between Müllheim and Staufen is closed to motorised traffic. Both locals and people from far-flung places such as Basel promptly come out to play and cover the 13-kilometre route on their bicycles, by foot or via other novel means of non-motorised transportation. Ascension Day in Germany is also Father's Day - a somewhat notorious day on which a sizeable proportion of German men like to inebriate themselves. Gutedeltag, the name of this event, provides the perfect stage for this. Strangely, it also seems to attract a good few hen parties.

We also flitted from one village to the next, sampling the local wines. A superb day was had by all, and yes - we were also quite merry by the end.

Now to some wine. The latest on my Reinhold and Claudia Schneider odyssey is a Weissburgunder blend from three different vineyards with three different soils respectively - hence the name:

Weingut Reinhold & Claudia Schneider, Weisser Burgunder Spätlese "trio" trocken *** 2009, Baden
Straw-yellow with banana and pineapple scents on the nose. Slowly, this evolves and becomes more complex - showing minerally, slightly nutty and tropical notes. There is a creamy progression on the palate, underscored with a racy, tingly, persistent, full-bodied mouthfeel. The finish is lingering and biscuity with relatively keen but well-integrated acidity. Some toffee and vanilla, too. Excellent, but I opened the bottle way too early.