Pfaffenheim

This being a place in Haut Rhin, otherwise Alsace, close to both German and Swiss borders. The home of a new-to-us white wine which we tried last night: Bergweingarten 2012 from the house of Frick, to be found at reference 1. Seemingly, a biological wine, sporting a Demeter logo.

Unusual for a white wine in that it was more than eight years old. Also in that it came in at 14%, whereas I had thought it would be around 10%, the usual for a Riesling - although, being picky, this wine is actually made from Sylvaner grapes. Also in that although the top of the bottle was covered in a sturdy plastic wrapping, in the usual way, the bottle was actually sealed like a beer bottle, with a metal cap, rather than the expected cork, or even the now popular screw top.

A slight fizz about it and a rather odd smell, rather cidery, when one first opened it. But it went down very well; just as well as we have two more bottles, having bought it more or less blind on the strength of being a Sylvaner, a type of wine last sampled at Terroirs. Not that they seemed to have it very often. I remember it being common in the Luxembourg in the 1970's, and although I was not a wine drinker at the time, that is probably why I take it now when I get the chance.

The snap above being the church of St. Martin at Pfaffenheim. Left hand end, 13th century, right hand end 19th century, concrete bell tower 20th century. It seems that it was in a bit of a state by the early 19th century, at which point the right hand end was rebuilt, rather badly, with periodic repairs culminating in another rebuild at the end of the 19th century, this being the structure visible today. Rather a large church for a small village, but otherwise not so different from the sort of thing that happens here in England.

PS: as it happens, I was married in another church of St. Martin, this being the parish church of the village where BH spent the second half of her childhood. In the shadow of the Exe Vale group of mental hospitals - to wind up in the shadow of the Epsom cluster of same. Not altogether inappropriately, St. Martin is the patron of vintners and alcoholics. For which see reference 4.

Reference 1: https://www.pierrefrick.com/. 

Reference 2: https://www.demeter.net/. 'The Biodynamic Federation Demeter International is launching a new film clip presenting the true values of biodynamic farming. Human development and care for nature are at the heart of biodynamic agriculture, illustrating both the responsibility and the courage that are needed every day in agriculture, qualities that are lacking in our current political world'.

Reference 3: https://www.jds.fr/pfaffenheim/eglise/eglise-saint-martin-3694_L.

Reference 4: http://www.catholic-saints.info/.