Wine & Food

Baden cuisine and Baden wine grew up side by side, quite literally: part of the classic menu comes straight from the vineyard. Vineyard snails end up in Baden's snail soup. This is a creamy broth of root vegetables and cream, served in autumn and winter, when the snails were traditionally gathered. Since 1986 the creatures have been under nature protection, so most today come from Baden snail farms rather than straight from the vine row.

No heavy red wine suits this dish, but rather the light, cool-served Gutedel from the Markgräflerland. Its mild acidity lets the earthy, slightly nutty note of the snail stand on its own without overwhelming it. A red wine would simply crush the delicate texture.

In the Straußwirtschaften of the Markgräflerland, the seasonal wine taverns run by the winegrowing families themselves, people often eat Bibbeleskäs with jacket potatoes alongside. The quark comes with cream, onions, and herbs. Hearty and simple at once, usually paired with a glass of Gutedel, sometimes stretched into a spritzer, since the Straußwirtschaft invites long, leisurely sitting rather than a quick glass.

When fish comes to the table, usually a trout from a Black Forest stream, the glass changes. Weissburgunder or Grauburgunder from the Kaiserstuhl fit well. They have enough body for the fried butter crust of Forelle Müllerin, yet stay dry enough not to overwhelm the delicate flesh. With the hearty Schäufele, Spätburgunder is the right choice again. It's robust enough for the braised pork shoulder with potato salad, with enough acidity to cut through the fat alongside it.