GRAMMELPOGATSCHERL are, quite literally, indescribably tasty. The eventful history of the former Knights’ Castle Lockenhaus indescribably fascinating. And the Burgenland people who we meet here in the so-called Sonnenland Mittelburgenland central Burgenland wine district? Open-minded, welcoming and honest. Travelling from one wine city to the next, Horitschon to Deutschkreutz just south of the Hungarian frontier city Sopron, you can really trace local culture and wine. Especially great reds. Everything else you should know about exploring the area is what I intend to summarise here for you. After all, you will want to know what on Earth Grammelpogatscherl may be … ? Except being, well, indescribably tasty. 😉
“Talking brings people together”, is what they say. Good food, wine & strong traditions account for it, too, as we find travelling in Burgenland.
It is a (wine) holiday destination to relax, almost like in a fairy tale. Arriving at the “Apple Estate” Apfelhof run by the Rohrer family in the spa village of Lutzmannsburg, we really feel like coming off a fairy tale ourselves. Everywhere around the house, we find apples (as well as pears, grapes and other fruit 😉 ) in cute little details on the walls, pieces of decoration items as well as on our plates; all the rooms are designed to wrap you up in peace & creative pleasure. “Because we are really relaxed, I believe we also address the corresponding target groups”, our host Jürgen Rohrer smiles. He once ran marathons and now prefers to indulge in his apple trees, horse stables and happy (family) guests. Anna and I take to the stables almost immediately after visiting the famous blueprint workshop Koo: We have each really missed riding a horse, especially after (or despite my?) adventures riding horses with the Gauchos in Argentina !!!
Baking traditional “Salzstangerl” with Herta & walking the Red Wine Trail with Anna: Neckenmarkt and Horitschon welcome us to the heart of the red wine district here in Burgenland.
It is really not that easy if two villages are situated too closely together, with Horitschon and Neckenmarkt being more competitive rather than cooperative – at least in the past. Fortunately for us, past rivalry has since subsided with the two villages now drawing forces to build a real red wine reputation for themselves: Friendly, open-minded and heartfelt is what our welcome here feels like. We stop at Herta Mittenbacher’s Pension Sunnseit’n guest house greeted by traditional Burgenland hospitality: Baking Salzstangerl and Grammelpogatscherl bread rolls. Do not worry if you cannot even fathom pronouncing these two words: It is better to eat than to pronounce them anyway! During a creative baking workshop set right inside Herta’s team kitchen as well as later on when walking the First Burgenland Red Wine Trail with wine shop owner Anna Zell, the feelings rush back at us: An immediate sense of place, of peace and welcome here at the central Burgenland wine growing district. Beautiful. Take a look right inside the kitchen & into the Burgenland vineyards with us!
Check out more colourful moments of our trip to the central Burgenland wine growing districtd here on Flickr. I might see you back for another red wine tasting event later this year? Here is what I had to say about last year’s wine autumn festival and events. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: We have been invited by Burgenland Tourismus & Sonnenland Mittelburgenland in order to travel to the area’s central wine district in Burgenland. All opinions are my own.