Presenter Martin Seidler kicked off the event with the bold declaration: “We are conquering Vienna”. The Austrian capital is the only major city in the world with significant wine growing within its city limits. Much like the Rheingau's Straußwirtschaften, Vienna's own style of wine taverns, the Heurigen, are deeply rooted in the city's culture.
Straußwirtschaft meets Heuriger
This regional connection was something that Loretta Pflaum was particularly eager to emphasize. Pflaum, the tenth-generation owner of her family's Heuriger ‘Schübel-Auer’, described Austrian wine taverns as places where people arrive and feel at home, a feeling that Rheingau local know well from their own wine taverns: “I'm simply trying to create a space where people can celebrate life.”
Viennese Gemischter Satz & Rheingau Riesling Soul
Winemaker Fritz Wieninger presented the Viennese Gemischter Satz, Vienna's most traditional yet most modern wine. Wine journalist Stuart Pigott described it as a ‘unique taste on planet wine’, and sommelière Cindy Kretchma emphasized how this type of wine unites origin, diversity, and the winemaker's signature style, much like the Riesling does in the Rheingau.
2-Star Culinary Artistry in Conversation
Two-Michelin-starred chef Silvio Nicole of Vienna's Palais Coburg delivered a culinary highlight, pairing the Gemischter Satz with a dish of cod, bean cassoulet, and mint. For him, the interplay of tradition and modernity is at the heart of Vienna's culinary culture – a characteristic shared with the Rheingau's top cuisine.
Rheingau Art Meets Viennese Soul
Micki Liebermann from the band 5/8erl in Ehr'n provided the musical backdrop for the program and was surprised with a specially commissioned caricature by Rheingau artist Michael Apitz.
Rheingau Startup CMPlus
The Rheingau startup CMPlus Events, founded by Colin Frambach and Max Schubert, provided a special visual highlight. They transformed a lecture hall at Hochschule Geisenheim University into an authentic wine tavern setting, complete with warm lighting, wooden details, and Viennese flair. Guests responded enthusiastically to this combination of design, culture, and wine education.
Project manager Robert Lönarz was more than pleased:
“Once again, we have shown that we can combine enjoyment and knowledge in a professional setting. This is Geisenheim in action.”
Students Shape the Show
The ‘Backstage Club’ was hosted by Geisenheim students Lilly Feisthauer and Francesca Flocke, whose warmth and energy defined the atmosphere with the guests. A photo series of Vienna by Lilly, created in cooperation with the Vienna Tourist Board, completed the overall picture.
Outlook
6Glasses1Bottle continues to set standards in modern wine and culinary communication. The next edition will take the format to the Moselle in April, another region that comes alive in the dialog between practice, science, and culture.
