A trip to Germany

We were thrilled to take part in the "Winzer" Winemaker series at Jacques Wein, hosted by the inimitable Remigius Szlachetka who is the owner of 2 fantastic stores in Osnabrück and Bielefeld-Babenhausen.

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Jacques Wein now have 340 shops in Germany but those of Remi must be among the best, as well as being unique. The iconic building at Babenhausen, dating from 1821, was an old agricultural barn and, established in 1980, was one of the original stores to open in Germany. Remi worked here as a student and he never really left! He purchased the store from the previous owner, as well as the shop in Osnabrück, creating vibrant and friendly wine centres for these two towns. Remi is a WSET diploma holder and educator so the inhabitants are truly able to benefit from his expertise and that of his team (which includes a university professor, former 2 star Michelin sommelier and a current winemaker!) Such expertise in-house pays testament to the exciting and innovative wine offering that consumers can find at Jacques Wein.

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Osnabrück is a vibrant university town and on every corner there is a mix of old and new. We followed this theme by tasting the existing range we have at Jacques Wein (partners for over 2 decades) and some new wines from our range including Solas rose and Bardou St-Chinian. Remi and Mary organised a wonderful selection of small bites to pair with the wines and we shared our story of heritage and innovation with the guests.

Bielefeld-Babenhausen, while also a university town, has a more rural feel and is surrounded by fields and parks. We were lucky enough to enjoy an aperitif outside in the glorious late Spring weather, which provided the perfect backdrop for Cazal Viel Sauvignon blanc and Chardonnay-Viognier, paired with goat's cheese and smoked salmon.

We also showed the guests Lagrasse Albarino and told the story of how it came about. This was a real novelty for most of them and they hadn't much experience of Albarino before. Solas Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were also great options for the mixed cheeses and charcuterie, although the Cazal Viel Grande Selection Cabernet-Syrah 2023 stole the show for most. The German wine drinkers still like to enjoy a fuller red with that inimitable hint of garrigue.

Wines showed from Cazal Viel range: 

Sauvignon Blanc

Chardonnay-Viognier 

Chardonnay Grande Selection

Cabernet Syrah Grande Selection

Other wines explored:

Lagrasse Albarino

Solas Chardonnay

Solas Pinot Noir

Solas rosé 

Bardou

We look forward to visiting the wonderful people at Jacques Wein across Germany again and a huge thank you to Remi and his team for 2 fantastic events.

Santé!