The second winery we were going to visit on this day was just a 5 minute drive away, in Enkirch.
Daniel met us outside the winery building, and told us how the omnipresent Mosel slate stone was so important for them in many ways: as the soil in which the vines grow, and as the literal fabric of the building, as it was also made of slate! He also told us how the building was used as an strategic observation tower during war times, as it is tall and has an even taller tower!
Our friend Sven lives in Germany and was very excited that we got to visit his country.
He is also excited about wine and trying new things, so he mobilised his network of experts to find interesting wineries in the area, and drove to Bullay, where we also went to by train (with all the bends of the Mosel, it was the best option logistically speaking!).
So we met at the station, and then drove across the Mosel and past a number of terraced slopes that did nothing but fire our anticipation, until we arrived to Reil, a small beautiful village.
As it were to be the theme of the day, we got to meet the grandfather in the family, who exchanged a few words with us, and quickly called the person currently running the winery, Thorsten.
After walking past it the night before, we visited the Bock itself after breakfast.
It packs a punch; if you like crypts, cannons, views, staircases built in stone and secret passages that lead you down a tall spiral staircase, through a long corridor, up another tall spiral staircase and to an alternative escape route out of the fortress, you should visit too. Well worth the price of admission!
This is an enriched sweet bun which also happens to be one of my absolutely favourite Valencian sweets. It has everything you could wish on an autumn bun: softness and fluffiness, aromas, caramelised nuts, juicy raisins… EVERYTHING!
It is my hometown’s local take on the slightly more widely known “Fogassa de Tots Sants” i.e. All Saints’ Fogassa, which was eaten on that day before going to the graveyard to pay respect to the dead. Nowadays you can buy it during the whole month, and you might even convince a local baker to make you one out of season (por encargo).
What I have also found is that by virtue of being so extremely local, the recipe isn’t readily available online or in books, and it has taken me about six iterations to come up with a recipe that tastes how I remember it tasted. In fact, the pictures for this will show you how I ended making four fogasses last week-end, trying two flours and two yeast amounts. I am that scientifically committed to the quest for the perfect fogassa!
And I am also finally pleased with the results and happy to share! đ
