WINE & DINE
Kaiserstuhl at Tante Anna
Many years ago, her personality shaped the wine house named after her in the old town, which in turn traces its history back to the late 16th (!) century. Today, Myriam Oxenfort, the great-great-great-granddaughter of the blessed aunt, is at the helm, while sommelier Thomas Bergk is responsible for the wine selection. "Our guest this time will be the Freiherr von Gleichenstein winery from Oberrotweil in the Kaiserstuhl region," explains Bergk about the event planned for ProWein. "We will serve our wine gourmets a 5-course menu including an aperitif, corresponding wines, water and a hot drink."
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Time: 17 March, 7 pm, Price: €175
Address: Tante Anna Wine House, Andreasstraße 2, 40213 Düsseldorf
Reservation: +49 211 131163 or info@tanteanna.de
Underground: Heinrich-Heine-Allee
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Riesling and Tempranillo
Why not combine absolute opposites? Crisp Riesling from the Rheingau and powerful Rioja? All this at the brand new b'mine, a hotel that has the potential to become a hotspot. Asian fusion & Nikkei food, the view over Düsseldorf and wines from the August Eser and Bodegas Riojanas estates. Sounds exciting, especially since a wine academic will reveal details about the tasted growths. Of course, there will also be something to eat...
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Time: 17 March, 6.30 pm, Price: €69
Address: b'mine Düsseldorf, Höherweg 90, 40233 Düsseldorf, www.bmine.de
Reservation: +49 151 17154461
Underground: Flingern or Kettwiger Straße
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Winemaker with Anthony
Anthony Sarpong has plans. "My team and I would like to go on a treasure hunt with our guests during ProWein," says the Düsseldorf restaurateur. "We will present wines from three vintners. They come from Kraichgau and Burgenland. Thanks to the vintners' passion for their wines and the special location of the wineries, we can present very unusual wines from 17 to 21 March." The wineries in question are Prieler, Heitlinger and Burg Ravensburg. "For this, we have developed a 5-course menu that will once again highlight the speciality of the wines."
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Time: 17 to 21 March, 6pm, Price: €155 each.
Address: Anthony's Kitchen, Moerser Straße 81, 40667 Meerbusch, www.anthonys.kitchen
Reservation: +49 2132 9851425 or info@anthonys.kitchen
Underground/tram: Forsthaus (Meerbusch)
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Consistently French
The name says it all. Le Bouchon is a French restaurant characterised by its chef, Patrick Zielonka from Alsace. Pâtés, cheese and champagne are generally enjoyed here. On the occasion of ProWein, the focus is on wines from the Loire (the Domaine Vincent Ricard) and those from the Rhône (Château de Saint-Cosme). Zielonka will be cooking four courses, with coffee and wine included.
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Time: 17 March, 6.30 pm, Price: €119
Address: Restaurant Le Bouchon, Blücherstr. 70, 40477 Düsseldorf, www.lebouchon-duesseldorf.de,
Reservation: +49 211 97713417
Underground: Victoriaplatz/Klever Straße or Zoo
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New restaurant, tried and tested champagne
Jörg Wissmann has German and Korean roots, which is not only evident in his cuisine, but also in the name of the restaurant that has just opened. The experienced chef - who previously worked at Nagaya and Agata's - has just set up his own business.
Of course, there will be creative German and Korean cooking - also on 19 March.
"We are holding the event together with the company everChamp," says Philipp Glunz, Managing Director of Jae Restaurant GmbH. "Mr Wissmann is creating a special menu for this evening." It's a special occasion, after all, because the five courses will be accompanied by none other than Alice Paillard herself introducing champagne from her own house, Bruno Paillard.
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Time: 19 March, 7 pm, Price: €249
Address: Jae Restaurant, Keplerstraße 13, 40215 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Reservation: +49 211 99919966, info@jae-restaurant.de
Underground: Friedrichstadt
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Rhenish-Westphalian or French?
At Fleher Hof, homemade crispbread and Dibbekuchen are on the menu, as well as duck liver terrine and coq au vin. It is not easy to marry this mixture of Rhenish-Westphalian and French food traditions with drinks. On the occasion of ProWein, the restaurant team opted for the bottlings of Jens Bettenheimer from Rheinhessen. Silvaner and Pinot varieties, plus a 5-course menu, personally presented by the winemaker. And all that at a bargain price.
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Time: 18 March, 6.30 pm, Price: €111
Address: Fleher Hof, Fleher Straße 254, 40223 Düsseldorf, Tel. +49 211 31195711
Reservation: info@fleherhof.de
Underground: Volmerswerther Straße
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LIFESTYLE
Fado meets wine
Of course there is food on this evening - but in reality it is more about the whole package, about switching off from the daily routine at the fair, about immersing oneself in the Portuguese feeling. Wines from Douro to Lisbon will be tasted and drunk, a Portuguese three-course menu will be served - and very important: there will be Portuguese Fado music.
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Time: 20 March, 6pm (first seating) or 9pm, Price: €50
Address: Cave Tapas, Erkrather Straße 218b, 40233 Düsseldorf, www.cave-tapas.de
Reservation: +49 211 87931270
Underground: Kettwiger Straße/Ronsdorfer Straße
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Surprise the Portuguese way
If you're looking for wine bistros in Düsseldorf to feel like you're in Paris, Michael B. Spreckelmeyer's Rocaille is number one. Because it's uncomplicated, because the wine list is gigantic and because the patisserie, which is also available to take away, is unsurpassed by any other provider in the city. At ProWein, however, it's not about French, but primarily about Portuguese. Niepoorts Night @ Rocaille is the name of the event. "So there will be great white wines, red wines as well as port wines, combined with exciting stories about the wines," says the chef. "In addition, the kitchen will present delicious food with a focus on the Douro Valley." For all those who are already travelling to ProWein on Thursday!
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Time: 16 March, 7.30 pm, Price: €95
Address: Rocaille, Weißenburgstraße 19, 40476 Düsseldorf
Reservation: +49 211 97711737 or genuss@rocaille.de
Underground: Derendorf
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Tasting
Simply Vaud
Word has not yet spread outside Switzerland about how well wines of the Chasselas grape variety can mature when they come from good sites - those on Lake Geneva are particularly suitable. This is also because most good Dézaleys and Calamins are drunk in the country itself. A bit of veil- lifting is being done by René Abgottspon, the chef de cuisine at the Swiss Restaurant à la Carte in Düsseldorf. The man with the name of an old Valais family cooks a three-course menu, the wines are from the Cave de la Côte in Vaud (and do not only consist of Chasselas!).
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Time: 18 March, 7 pm, Price: €100
Address: Schweizer Restaurant à la Carte, Konkordiastraße 49, 40219 Düsseldorf, www.swiss-feinkost-catering.de
Reservation: +49 211 3883502
Underground: Kirchplatz
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Champagne in the supermarket
Zurheide Feine Kost is not only a place for Düsseldorfers to shop, but also good for sophisticated enjoyment: After all, this is where one of Düsseldorf's best restaurants, the Setzkasten, is located. On the occasion of ProWein, however, you can also come to Zurheide just to drink champagne. The supermarket and the Champagne Club are organising an extended tasting on 18 March with 30 cuvées from 15 houses. There will be nibbles to eat, but if you really have an appetite, you'll have to pre- or post-order elsewhere.
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Time: 18 March, 5 to 9 p.m. Price: €69 (€79 at the box office)
Address: Champagner Club Bar in the basement of Zurheide Feine Kost, Berliner Allee 52, 40212 Düsseldorf
Reservation: +49 211 200570, kontakt@champagner-club.de,
Underground: Berliner Allee
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Cool finale
Conclusion with Concept Riesling
"We are very busy on all ProWein days," says Nico von der Ohe from Concept Riesling. On the pre-ProWein days, many people from the wine world already come to the specialist for fine Riesling. "We have something on the programme every day." Special winemakers, specials by the glass, bottle highlights too. "Due to the large number of people, we will sometimes also cover several wines and themes." Wine can be purchased by the glass/bottle or by the flight.
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Time: 17 to 21 March, on the 17th and 18th from 4 p.m., otherwise from 6 p.m., Price: individual
Address: Concept Riesling, Carlsplatz 26 - Stand A5, 40213 Düsseldorf, Tel. +49 151 16587478, www.conceptriesling.com
Underground: Heinrich-Heine-Allee
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Fries & Wine
Sommelier Toni Askitis is active at the fair during ProWein opening hours and offers workshops for restaurateurs. But soon after closing time, you're likely to find him at the iconic snack bar on Graf-Adolf-Platz for the informal after-show party. You don't have to register ("The door’s just open," says Askitis), and it's not yet clear what wine will be served. But French fries will be provided in any case.
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Time: after the end of the fair, Price: individual
Address: Berliner Imbiss, Graf-Adolf-Platz 1, 40213 Düsseldorf
Reservation: none, underground: Graf-Adolf-Platz
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BYO with oysters
It's amazing that BYO concepts ("Bring Your Own", i.e. events with drinks you bring yourself) are not yet so widespread in Germany. Yet it's a great idea, especially at ProWein, to open up highlights in a cosy or wider circle. Café de Bretagne also has a special wine list for the fair; the oysters and sea specialities are to be recommended anyway.
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Time: 17, 18, 20 and 21 March, from 6 p.m. Price: €20 corkage fee per bottle; food individual.
Address: Café de Bretagne, Benrather Straße 7 (Carlsplatz), 40213 Düsseldorf, www.cafe-de-bretagne.de
Reservation: +49 211 56940775, Underground: Heinrich-Heine-Allee
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Beer instead of wine
Still an insider tip. "Every year at ProWein there is a regulars' table for winegrowers," says the press officer of the long-established Schumacher brewery. You can meet here for a drink or two without registering; Schumacher managing director Thea Ungermann arranges this informal get-together like a lounge. "Often the winegrowers come by for a nightcap after they've had dinner at around 10 pm.
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Time: 18, 19 and 20 March after ProWein, Price: individual
Address: Brauerei Schumacher, Oststraße 123, 40210 Düsseldorf, Tel. +49 211 8289020, www.schumacher-alt.de
Underground: Oststraße
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Party time
Wine will be served, champagne has been announced, but above all it's about celebrating on 18 March. DJ Timon Pachi from @dreirad0211 will provide the background music. And if the volume permits, anyone who wants to can still talk about sales and turnover and the latest trends in the wine market.
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Time: 18 March, from 10 pm, Price: Free admission
Address: Hase + Igel, Building 8, Schwanenhöfe, Erkrather Str. 226, 40233 Düsseldorf, www.haseundigel.eu
Reservation: fabienne@grapeandglory.de
Underground: Ronsdorfer Straße/Kettwiger Straße
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At the fair
Organic wine
In Hall 5, C 30, the Bioland association, nine wineries and a noble fruit distillery will show what organic wines and spirits are all about on a total area of 140 square metres. The highlight is the joint stand party with Demeter and Ecovin. The wineries Sauer, Bäder, Höfflin, Graf von Schönborn and others will be part of the party.
Time: 20 March, 6 p.m., Location: ProWein, Hall 5 C 30
Riesling and liverwurst
The Pfalzwein e.V. chillout offers what simply belongs together inseparably: Riesling and liver sausage sandwiches from the Palatinate. An unbeatable combination - especially after various tastings with red wines.
Time: 19 and 20 March, 5 p.m., Location: ProWein, Hall 1 E 29
Large bottles
Under the term Big Bottle Party, large bottles of the Maxime origin Rheinhessen are opened. A great end to the day in the true sense of the word.
Time: 20 March, 5 p.m., Location: ProWein, Hall 1 C 60
More restaurants? Here are our recommendations from last year:
