On September 30th, the PHOENIX MEDIA team from Stuttgart went to the Riverhouse Locations in Stuttgart-Münster to bid farewell to one of the last beautiful days of the year after a fantastic summer. This area is especially known for wine growing in the Swabian region, which is why the following two things were on the agenda: A wine safari with a tasting of 5 different wines (exclusively local wines from Weinfactum) including water & snacks as well as a local buffet at the Riverhouse to end the evening with an amazing view on the Neckar.
Culinary highlight: Wine safari through the vineyards of Stuttgart
On this day, the weather had good intentions: pure sunshine and 20°C. Dressed in traditional costume, the event guide welcomed us and reported interesting facts about wine growing in the Swabian capital: due to the Neckar valley, Stuttgart is one of the largest wine-growing areas in Germany and about 71% of the cultivated vineyards are devoted to red wine production.
After a historical insight into the Swabian vineyards, everyone received a wine glass in a glass carrying bag and the first wine was served: A lovely Secco (also called sparkling wine). The difference between a Secco and a sparkling wine is that additional carbonic acid is added to the Secco, which in the case of the sparkling wine is created by a second fermentation. The tour guide then explained which points were included in the wine safari: the group was divided into two teams and there was a small game for each wine tasting – a local present awaited the winner. Afterwards the first game was coming up, in which we had to put wine cases together in order to be able to see a pattern. The game was reminiscent of a puzzle and took place on the grounds of the so-called "Riverview Weinberghaus".
A walk directly next to the Neckar with a view of boat trips, passing by the Golden Gatele - also known as Max-Eyth-Steg - and along the wine terraces led to an area of the Riverhouse's wine terraces. There the next wine tasting and a game awaited the teams. Between the rows of vines, the lovely Riesling (white wine) tasted even more intense. Meanwhile, the teams were able to demonstrate their archery skills.
How fast can you uncork a wine? The teams had to face this challenge while dealing with a broken cork. As a reward and motivation, the third wine was presented: a rosé called Trollinger Weißherbst.
The further way led up the stairs of the wine terrace to the vineyards. On this elevation you can enjoy a wonderful view of the green Neckar landscape and the Max-Eyth-See. After a short walk in pure sunshine and alongside flowering allotment gardens, the wine safari led to a private property of the Riverhouse. Here the event guide invited to the fourth wine tasting with a semi-dry Weißburgunder (white wine) and another game: cork shooting in the vineyard.
In good company and with nice weather, we really enjoyed a fantastic afternoon. The final wine was a dry Lemberger (red wine) from Bad Cannstatt before the last game was due. Then there was the award ceremony and the winning team won a dry sparkling wine from Rilling. The wine safari was a great experience for us, which was a perfect start into the weekend after the previous working day. With exquisite local wines and a variety of games, the wine safari is definitely a highlight that you have to experience in sunny weather.
End of the evening at the Riverbeach location with a barbecue buffet
After the wine safari, we all got hungry. We ended the evening with a delicious barbecue buffet in the Riverbeach. From a large selection of meat to vegetarian alternatives, local grilled vegetables and homemade BBQ sauces, everyone could find something suitable for themselves. With wine and beer from Swabia and the homemade lemonade as a non-alcoholic alternative, the evening ended under a starry night sky next to the Neckar. We are really looking forward to the next team event!
