Manuela Rüther cooked in various award-winning kitchens after finishing her A-levels, such as the hotel restaurant "Krone" in Hayna, Herxheim. She now works as a freelance photographer and author. ~ elaruether.de
Sebastian Bordthäuser studied German philology before ultimately deciding on the bottle. After working in a number of restaurants, Bordthäuser now lectures, tastes and writes for various newspapers and magazines. ~ bordthaeuser.com
Manuela Rüther and Sebastian Bordthäuser teamed up to explore the German Wine Route. Their mission:
This combination might not be the first that comes to mind when thinking of the Palatinate region. What we might tend to associate with Riesling, Pinot Noir and the like are the more rustic delights such as the liver sausage, black pudding and Palatinate pig's stomach. However, the diversity of the Palatinate region is not restricted to the combination of sausages and wine: wine and vegetables are more topical than ever. As a mixed traditional and agricultural area, the Palatinate region is a producer of top-quality vegetables, predominantly in outdoor cultivation. This is reason enough for us to plan a long weekend in the region. We want to see how new businesses work today, where vegetables are grown and which people and philosophies are behind all this. And, of course, we want to taste delicacies and put our book "Wein & Gemüse" ("Wine and Vegetables") to the test by trying Palatinate products in the region.
The regional ingredients come from Landau's weekly market and from the family farm Neuhof in Altleiningen. We purchase the perfect wine to accompany the dishes from the Bietighöfer winery in Billigheim-Ingenheim, the traditional winery Fitz-Schneider in Edenkoben, the Fußer winery in Niederkirchen and the Bürklin-Wolf winery in Wachenheim. The Ruppertsberg estate is the crowning glory of our wine and vegetable tour. The different ingredients are used there to create exciting combinations of regional vegetables and fine wine.
Hungry? Thirsty? 60 vegetable recipes and wine by the case in a book! Many wise people have already given thought to pairing wine with fish, wine with pork or wine with raspberry cream torte... But what about pairing wine with vegetables? Silence. This book changes all that! Published in 2017 by Fackelträger Verlag GmbH, ISBN: 978-3-7716-4687-5, price: €30
Incidentally: "Wein & Gemüse" (Wine and vegetables) was awarded the silver medal of the German Academy of Gastronomy in 2018 *CONGRATULATIONS*
Manuela Rüther and Sebastian Bordthäuser weren't there to just taste wine and buy vegetables. They chopped, cooked, ate and drank in the kitchen of the Ruppertsberg estate. Full up on wine and vegetables!
The tested recipes from "Wein & Gemüse" and many other Palatinate delicacies can be found here
