wein.plus
Attention
You are using an old browser that may not function as expected.
For a better, safer browsing experience, please upgrade your browser.

Log in Become a Member

Monday, 1 October

SR Television, 6.50 p.m.

A voyage of discovery along the Moselle

The Moselle flows right through the middle of our Greater Region: from its source in the Vosges, it meanders through French Lorraine, then forms the border between Luxembourg and Saarland and finally meanders through Rhineland-Palatinate until it flows into the Rhine in Koblenz. Be there in the vineyards around the small village of Wolf when the ancient technique of dry stone walling is passed on to preserve the extraordinary cultural landscape of the Moselle.

Monday, 1 October

MDR Television, 1.20 a.m.

(in the night from Monday to Tuesday) A Good Year Feature film, USA 2006

Winemaker Francis Duflot (Didier Bourdon), whom Max knows from his childhood and who taught him everything about good wine, is horrified that Max wants to sell off Henry's (Albert Finney) life's work. But Max has no intention of becoming a winegrower and swapping his luxury city life for a simple existence in the country. A walk through the vineyard brings back memories of his uncle. The feature film will also be broadcast on Sunday, 30 September, at 10.15 a.m. on MDR television.

Henry (Albert Finney) shows his nephew Max Skinner (Freddie Highmore) the vineyard.

MDR/20th Century Fox/Rico Torres

Tuesday, 2 October

3sat, 11.40 a.m.

Dream Gardens on Mallorca - On the Road with Organic Gardener Karl Ploberger

Organic gardener Karl Ploberger cannot escape the magic of this island. He wanders between fragrant pine trees, orange groves and beautiful vines in the hinterland and discovers hidden, imposing dream gardens that remain largely hidden from tourists.

Wednesday, 3 October

SWR Television, 6.30 p.m.

Enjoying South Tyrol - Celebrating and feasting with bread, bacon and wine

South Tyrolean farmers, once simple folk, serve up sumptuous fare at their regional festivals and enjoy their wine and traditional local dishes. South Tyrolean wine flows at all the festivals - Vernatsch, Lagrein or Terlaner. They all thrive in the picturesque landscape around Lake Kaltern and its surroundings, and are eagerly served.

Wednesday, 3 October

WDR Television, 11.30 a.m.

The Moselle

Steep slopes and magnificent views, the Moselle is one of the most breathtaking rivers in Germany. But working on its banks has never been easy. Nevertheless, young people in particular are once again choosing to live along the Moselle - in France, Luxembourg and Germany. Rebecca Materne and Janina Schmitt belong to a new generation of winemakers who have rediscovered the steep slopes of the terraced Moselle. Rebecca Materne comes from the Ruhr area, Janina Schmitt from Hesse. In 2012, the friends leased a vineyard in Winningen near Koblenz - and grow Riesling on the slopes with an inclination of more than 50 degrees - without using machines, without pesticides. The couple's life is characterised by the unpredictability of the weather and hard work: tying the vines in spring, bottling in ssummer grape harvest in autumn. It would not be possible without the help of family and friends. If both want to make a living from winegrowing one day, their business has to grow. But Materne & Schmitt are optimistic. The people on the Moselle love their homeland. The river offers a sense of security. And that is why in some places along the Moselle, customs and traditions live on as they did centuries ago. In Contz-les-Bains, France, in the border triangle of France, Luxembourg and Germany, young men are preparing a grandiose spectacle for St. John's Day. A huge wooden wheel is supposed to roll down a mountain into the river. If it works, it promises a good harvest! In Traben-Trarbach, the "Stadtschröter" drag a tree trunk through the town to set it up as a guild tree on the banks of the Moselle. Schröter were once indispensable for the wine trade. They heaved the filled barrels out of the cellars to load them onto ships. The advent of the wine pump caused the craft to die out.

Wednesday, 3 October

WDR Television, 1.00 p.m.

Really funny! - Wine drinkers, allotment gardeners and sprightly pensioners

It has long been disproved that humour is in a bad way in the land of poets and thinkers. There is a long list of great comedians and jokers who have dealt excellently with human weaknesses, vanities and the shallows of everyday life in their sketches, parodies and solo acts. In a new edition of "Echt witzig!", Harald Juhnke tries to order a very last Gespritzen in a Viennese pub, while Matthias Egersdörfer meticulously works through the clear shopping list in the local supermarket. Gabi Decker perfects the Lipsi step on the dance floor and Georg Schramm demands privileges for pensioners and old people's home residents in a blazing speech. Good entertainment!

Wednesday, 3 October

SWR Television, 4.30 p.m.

Memories of Village Life in the Southwest

Vintner Christoph Hammel from Kirchheim/Pfalz talks about animals of a very special kind, about pests in the vineyard. Where today pheromone traps naturally keep off the attackers, in the past there was generous experimentation with poisons. Even arsenic, dusted with bellows, E 605 were used.

Wednesday, 3 October

SR Television, 6.45 p.m.

Old vines, new ideas - young winemakers on the Saar and Upper Moselle

Things are happening in the wine scene on the Saar and Upper Moselle. The children of long-established winegrowing families are starting to work in the wineries and are breaking new ground. Or young people are starting their own unusual wine projects. We are in the Moselle wine-growing region, the fifth largest in Germany, and nowhere are there steeper vineyards. The most expensive Rieslings come from there. The feature shows the personal stories of six young winegrowers or winegrowing families: from the family business to the salaried farm manager to the small vineyard of one's own that is managed in the evening. Two of our winemakers are new discoveries of the year 2018 and have been awarded by the wine guides Gault & Millau and Vinum. All of them are united by the joy of making wine. Most of the young winemakers are highly educated, have completed a winemaking degree in addition to their apprenticeship and have looked beyond their own nose, for example in South Africa or New Zealand. As a result, they are strongly networked and bring many new ideas to their home region. They help each other and exchange ideas, give each other feedback and want to make simple, natural wines, often spontaneously fermented. Far from brass bands and wine queens, they organise cross-border wine events, present themselves as modern and cosmopolitan and are thus ambassadors for the region. In addition to the feature "Old vines, young ideas", the programme includes a short talk on development trends in regional wine and the upcoming super wine year 2018. Roman Bonnaire will be the programme's moderator.

Young winemaker Simon Ollinger (28 years old)

SR/Nelly Thoebald

Thursday, 4 October

hr-fernsehen, 10.10 a.m.

Wonderful Hesse - On the Road in Dribbdebach (Frankfurt-Sachsenhausen)

Dieter Voss is on the road in Frankfurt-Sachsenhausen, in Dribbdebach - for those who don't speak Hessian: "on the other side of the stream". It is the district south of the Main in Frankfurt, known for its wonderful apple wine taverns.

Friday, 5 October

3sat, 2.40 p.m.

Wachau - Land on the River

It is one of the most beautiful spectacles of nature when the apricot trees begin to blossom in the Wachau in spring, transforming the entire region into a fragrant sea of blossoms. At 36 kilometres, the Wachau is only a short section of the 2,800-kilometre-long Danube - and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The winding Danube valley, the riparian forests, rock formations and man-made vineyard terraces are UNESCO natural monuments. The Wachau has been wine country since Roman times - today the "Land am Strome" with its white wines can compete with any wine-growing region in the world. The documentary shows the charms of this cultural and natural landscape in the changing seasons.

Saturday, 6 October

MDR Television, 11.45 a.m.

Fairytale castle above the Unstrut The eventful history of Vitzenburg Castle

The fairytale castle of Vitzenburg towers high above the Unstrut. Surrounded by an old vineyard, it is surrounded by a picturesque landscape. It was made famous by a witch story - that of Bibi and Tina. The two horse girls rode around the castle grounds for years at the behest of the successful director Detlef Buck. For all four film parts, Vitzenburg was roused from its slumber as the film castle "Falkenstein". Since then it has been a place of pilgrimage for Bibi-and-Tina fans. In the village, people felt like they were in Hollywood, reports the mayor. The only pub in the village provided catering, including vegetarian food. Because the films finally brought life back into the huge castle, which otherwise stood empty and decayed. That was different for centuries. Once a monastery, it was the seat of various noble families, most recently the von Münchhausen family. They farmed the rural area and brought wages and bread to the farmers of the surrounding villages. In the GDR era, when living space was scarce, the castle was used, among other things, as a psychiatric hospital for children and young people. The fairy-tale prince who now wants to give Vitzenburg a new splendour is a baron. Georg Freiherr Baron von Münchhausen, whose family once owned the area, has bought back the castle hill, where the oldest vineyards in the entire region grow. He leased out the vineyard. He is currently renovating what is probably the most beautiful tea house on the Unstrut - the baroque pavilion - in order to bring pleasure and culture back. The film takes the audience to Vitzenburg Castle and tells what it's like when a small town is transformed into a film set. It shows the young Baron Münchhausen and the winegrower Klaus Lüttmer in their efforts to make the region around Vitzenburg more attractive. Mayor Hartmut Blödtner tells how he and his ancestors carpentered stairs and gates for the castle. Photos and historical film footage bring the history of the imposing castle to life and show that the Saale-Unstrut wine-growing region has much more to offer than wine.

Saturday, 6 October

hr-television, 12.20 p.m.

Der Winzerkönig (15) - Evil Game 39-part television series, Germany/ Austria 2006 - 2010

The financial situation of "Stickler & Stickler" is very bad. After a conversation with his fatherly friend and mentor, the great winemaker Gottfried Schnell, Thomas regains hope: Much like the former manager, he decides on necessary restructuring in the company, but without informing his son and partner Paul. Paul is more than disappointed by his decision. A discussion between father and son brings Thomas and Paul back on the same page: with the help of EU subsidies, they want to clear the old vines and grow new varieties of wine instead.

Saturday, 6 October

NDR Television, 12.45 p.m.

Champagne - A Journey for the Senses

Jugglers dance through the streets, daredevil knights compete in jousting and music groups get the visitors really fired up: For two days, Reims celebrates the Fêtes Johanniques, a medieval spectacle in honour of the Virgin of Orléans. The city is in a state of emergency. In splendid costumes, over 1,000 performers parade to the cathedral, where the archbishop awaits them. The mood at La Cave à Champagne is exuberant every day. Chef Bernard Ocio specialises in champagne. The noble drink accompanies every menu here and is also the most important ingredient. In the Département of Aube, the film team visits a traditional champagne house that has been in the family for over 200 years. Cellar master Christophe Bayen provides insights into production and his time-consuming hobby. He is a passionate collector of the artistically designed metal capsules that seal each champagne bottle. At weekends, he drives hundreds of kilometres to buy real rarities at flea markets. The Champagne region in north-eastern France means endless vineyards, deep red poppies and rolling hills. Impressions as if painted and of unbelievable vastness. The painter Renoir was so enchanted by this region that he spent more and more time in his studio in Essoyes. Charles de Gaulle also fell in love with Champagne and moved with his family to the secluded village of Colombey-les-Deux-Églises.

Saturday, 6 October

MDR Television, 6.15 p.m.

On the Road in Saxony-Anhalt

On the Saale-Unstrut Wine Route

Sunday, 7 October

MDR Television, 2.50 p.m.

Legendary - The Unstrut Land

In Freyburg, Axel Bulthaupt meets a young winemaking couple who not only grow a very tasty wine, but have also converted an old natural stone house that was in danger of collapsing into a cosy inn.

Sunday, 7 October

Das Erste (ARD), 2.00 a.m.

(in the night from Sunday to Monday) Bottle Shock - The Chardonnay Cowboys Feature film, USA 2008

California, mid-1970s: For a long time, passionate winemaker Jim Barrett has been working to produce a perfect Californian Chardonnay. He put everything on the line for this lifelong dream and is now on the verge of ruin. At the same time, the Briton Steven Spurrier tries in vain to establish himself as a wine merchant in Paris. During a trip by Steven to Napa Valley, the two men get to know each other - and the snobby European immediately recognises the great potential of Jim's wine. At a spectacular blind tasting in Paris, the Chardonnay is to compete against the best French wines. Unfortunately, the grumpy winemaker doesn't want to hear about this idea. Bill Pullman and Alan Rickman play two headstrong outsiders who take on the Parisian wine chic in the wine-savvy comedy "Bottle Shock - The Chardonnay Cowboys".

Monday, 8 October

WDR Television, 2.05 p.m.

Sunny South Tyrol - Where the South Begins

The picturesque wine villages along the South Tyrolean Wine Road to Lake Kaltern are explored by bike. And those who travel by bike may also taste one or the other good drop with a clear conscience.

Monday, 8 October

3sat, 8.15 pm

Islands of Switzerland - Ufenau - Paradise in Lake Zurich

Ufenau in Lake Zurich measures just eleven hectares, yet it is the largest island in Switzerland. It is a jewel of special beauty with a variety of animal and plant species. For almost two years, the "Gaststätte zu den zwei Raben" remained closed for renovation work. In April 2018, it opened in a new splendour. Rösli Lötscher has been running the business for eleven years. For many, she is the face of Ufenau, always friendly, always open for a quick chat. In her restaurant she serves St. Martin's Featherwhite, a refreshing red wine made from grapes from the Ufenau, as well as her Fischknusperli, which enjoy an excellent reputation beyond the island throughout the region.

Tuesday, 9 October

ZDF, 6.00 p.m.

SOKO Köln (TV series) - The Wine Detective

Felix Däubler is found dead in front of his wine shop. The murder weapon is not found. In addition, 13 cases of a precious wine have disappeared. Was his business his undoing? The detectives find out that negotiations for 13 cases of "Maison Kugler" were going on the night before the murder. 130,000 euros were to change hands the next day, and Felix Däubler would have been solvent again. But it was not only a wine merchant from Shanghai who was interested in the wine from 1938, but also its true owners. Marie Kugler had learned of the planned sale of the "Maison Kugler" and wanted to reclaim the family wine that had been stolen from them in the winter of 1944. Did she walk over dead bodies in the process? Inspector Matti Wagner, fascinated by the beautiful Frenchwoman, fervently hopes that the suspicion of the crime will quickly be dispelled. But the evidence is mounting and leads to the conclusion: Marie Kugler could be responsible for the death of Felix Däubler. Will the secret of the stolen wine lead the team of investigators to the culprit?

Wednesday, 10 October

3sat, 2.00 p.m.

The great seaside res orts - Hua Hin - Thailand

The author also visited Thailand's only vineyard.

Wednesday, 10 October

ORF III, 8.15 pm

Farm festival in Schilcherland

Every autumn, Schilcherland casts its spell on people - the rolling hills, the splendid colours, the new wine of the season. The region on the border with Slovenia is blessed with sunshine hours like few other spots in Austria. In so-called farm festivals, the winegrowers and their guests celebrate this year's harvest and taste the wine over roasted chestnuts. Heimat Österreich shows such a farm festival and tells how people live and think in this traditional wine region.

Friday, 12 October

SWR Television, 6.15 p.m.

Autumn Gold - On the Road along the Ruwer River

The Ruwer - a cultural landscape since the Romans. That is the image many have. But the Ruwer has more to offer than wine and Viez. The dazzling facets of the river valley are good for many a surprise. In autumn, the Ruwer shows its most exciting side. Then, when the vineyards rumble, the juice runs out of the apple presses and the leaves glow golden yellow. For then the river reveals all its beauty. But the Ruwer Valley has many faces. The river is only 49 kilometres long. It rises in the Hunsrück near Kell am See and flows into the Moselle near Trier. On this short stretch, it passes through different landscapes, from quiet farmland to a lively wine region. The people and themes along the Ruwer are just as diverse. Peter Geiben represents the Ruwer as most people know it. The winegrower has been running his winery for a good 40 years. He doesn't like modernity, he swears by the tradition of Ruwer wine - the region's most famous flagship.

Saturday, 13 October

GEO Television, 6.00 a.m.

GEO Reportage - Champagne for everyone!

It's harvest time. The sun warms the Pinot Noir, Black Riesling and Chardonnay grapes in the French region of Champagne with its last rays. This is where the unique French sparkling wine is produced, pressed exclusively according to the strict rules of the local winegrowers: Champagne is known as the drink for festivities all over the world. Two renowned Champagne winemakers are introduced in the report.

Saturday, 13 October

hr-television, 12.25 p.m.

Der Winzerkönig (16) - The Divorce Petition 39-part television series, Germany/Austria 2006 - 2010

Thomas Stickler is worried: he urgently needs to buy more grapes to compensate for the loss of harvest. Under the seal of secrecy, Edina gives him the address of a winegrower from her home country. Thomas also needs 80,000 euros to keep the farm going. Mother Hermine offers him the sum as an interest-free loan, but Thomas, out of pride, does not want to accept the money for the time being.

Saturday, 13 October

MDR Television, 6.00 p.m.

Heute im Osten - Reportage The Divided Vineyard - A Winegrowing Family between Austria and Hungary

When Birgit and Katrin Pfneisl make their daily tour of their vineyard, they sometimes get a surprised look. For the two women are not only the youngest winemakers far and wide, they are also proving themselves in a professional field that is mainly dominated by men. Where the Iron Curtain divided two worlds 30 years ago, the two sisters grow wine. This has been a tradition in the Pfneisl family. But in the course of history, the borders have changed several times and so have the conditions for the winegrowing family. Before the disintegration of Austria-Hungary, the Austrian Burgenland, where the Pfneisls still have their family seat, belonged to Hungary. Afterwards, the area fell to Austria and the family was no longer allowed to farm on the Hungarian land. During the Cold War, the family then had to cross the Austro-Hungarian border past armed posts to visit their ancestral vineyards. Until the Iron Curtain fell. Today, the family owns vineyards on both sides of the border in a region that made history not least through the Pan-European Picnic in 1989 - when hundreds of GDR citizens took the opportunity to flee - a major milestone on the road to German reunification. All this is history for the young generation. For today the two young self-confident women have to hold their own in a European market and naturally move between two countries that once marked two worlds. "Heute im Osten - Reportage" accompanies them on their journey.

Sunday, 14 October

hr-television, 9.15 a.m.

Experience Hesse: Among convent sisters

"A convent is a great talent shed. You discover things about yourself that you had no idea about before." This is what Sister Thekla says, who first learned the profession of winemaker at the St. Hildegard convent in Rüdesheim - because it was needed. The monastery includes extensive vineyards where grapes are harvested for the monastery's own white and red wine. Sister Thekla also walks through the vineyard with groups of visitors. Viticulture, like the monastery shop, the goldsmiths or the ceramics workshops, is a separate branch of the economy that finances monastic life in Rüdesheim.

Sunday, 14 October

SWR Television, 2.00 p.m.

On the German Wine Route

People and traces along a holiday route

Sunday, 14 October

Bavarian Television, 2.05 p.m.

On the Road in the Alps - Trentino - A Land between Borders

Under Habsburg rule, agriculture experienced an upswing. The border region of Trentino required a constant presence of soldiers. They received a monthly ration of wine by decree from Vienna, and for the original poor farmers this became the most important source of income. And wherever the eye looks today, the trail always leads to wine. Travellers are more familiar with the nearby South Tyrol or only the southern part of Trentino - Lake Garda - but Trentino holds many discoveries, especially for wine and nature lovers.

Sunday, 14 October

SWR Television, 2.45 p.m.

German Wine Harvest Festival 2018 - Parade from Neustadt an der Weinstraße Presenters: Kerstin Bachtler and Claudia Albrecht

For more than 100 years, the procession participants have been walking through the streets of Neustadt an der Weinstraße in Germany's largest wine harvest festival procession. On the second Sunday in October, over 150,000 visitors are expected. The racking is the highlight of the annual wine harvest festival in Neustadt. Over 150 procession numbers with floats, cheerful music and customs groups as well as pageantry floats travel through the streets of the town. The newly crowned German and Palatinate wine queens, among others, are enthroned on such spectacular floats, presenting themselves to a large audience for the first time. But other "royalty" also have their place in the parade. Whether onion queen or Bacchus figures, whether cellar master or wine noses - they all parade through Germany's secret wine capital. SWR television will be showing the parade live from 2.45 pm.

Wine Festival Parade in Neustadt an der Weinstraße

SWR/Neustadt an der Weinstraße/Rolf Schädler

Sunday, 14 October

ORF 2, 4.05 pm

South Styrian Winegrowers' Procession

For decades, the southern Styrian community of Gamlitz has been celebrating its wine harvest festival in October. The highlight is the winegrowers' procession, whose most beautiful impressions are shown by ORF Styria in a documentary on 14 October.

Sunday, 14 October

SWR Television, 8.15 p.m.

Alsace and Vosges - Newly Discovered

Alsace is primarily rural. In the villages you can often hear the Alsatian dialect, for example in Seebach, one of the most beautiful half-timbered villages in northern Alsace. There, the team visits a German-French winemaker couple who produce organic wine and crémant. On the Alsatian Wine Route, a pair of winegrowers opted for sustainable architecture when building their farm and converted the operation to biodynamic cultivation.

Monday, 15 October

ARD-alpha, 1.30 p.m.

Schmidt Max and the wine holiday in Styrian Tuscany

It is probably one of the most beautiful wine landscapes in Europe - with 650 km of hiking trails and 800 km of cycle paths. Southern Styria rightly bears the noble title of "Tuscany". In the realm of the white "Sauvignon blanc", Schmidt Max finds small winegrowers' houses to stay in, all alone in the vineyards. He doesn't really have much of a thing for wine. Until three winegrowers convince him: a young savage, a pillar saint and a Bavarian whom everyone knows - but not because of the wine.

Monday, 15 October

3sat, 2.15 p.m.

Amalfi Coast, I want to go there!

The Amalfi Coast is famous for its particularly blue sea, yellow lemons and regional wines with a great tradition.

Presenter Michael Friemel with the youngest vintner on the Amalfi Coast under the oldest vine.

ZDF/SR/Schunack

Monday, 15 October

WORLD, 5.05 p.m.

From Grape to Wine - German Winegrowers and Wineries

Fine champagne from France, full-bodied red wine from Italy or strong Rioja from Spain. But German quality wines are nowhere to be found? Not at all! Nowadays, top drops of the finest grapes also come from German wineries and sparkling wine cellars that have won awards all over the world. The report meets top winemakers in their breathtaking vineyards, presents an East German sparkling wine success story and shows who is way ahead in this country when it comes to soils, vines and grapes.

Monday, 15 October

3sat, 8.15 p.m.

Islands of Switzerland - St. Peter's Island, green jewel in Lake Biel

In the wooded main part of the island, where a hotel and an organic farm are the only buildings, farmer Markus Schumacher shows his Boer goats and Angus cattle. Next door, winegrower Hubert Louis presents his vineyard, probably one of the most beautiful workplaces in Switzerland.

Wednesday, 17 October

ORF III, 8.15 pm

Farm festival in Schilcherland

Every autumn, the Schilcherland region casts its spell on people - the rolling hills, the splendid colours, the new wine of the season. The region on the border with Slovenia is blessed with sunshine hours like few other spots in Austria. In so-called farm festivals, the winegrowers and their guests celebrate this year's harvest and taste the wine over roasted chestnuts. Heimat Österreich shows such a farm festival and tells how people live and think in this traditional wine region.

Thursday, 18 October

3sat, 3 .30 p.m.

In the Shadow of the Volcanoes - Lanzarote - How Ashes Become Money

The excellent wines are proof of how resilient man and nature are. Over the centuries, the eruptions created a mysterious labyrinth of caves from lava and water sources.

Thursday, 18 October

3sat, 5.45 pm

South Africa's Cape Region - On the Road at the Most Beautiful End of the World

On a trip to South Africa you simply can't miss Cape Town - for many it is the most beautiful city in the world and also the starting point of this journey. The breathtaking landscape, the mix of cultures and the relaxed lifestyle create the special atmosphere of the city on Table Mountain. In the east of Cape Town, world-famous wines grow against a breathtaking backdrop. A visit to the winegrowers and their farms is well worthwhile.

Friday, 19 October

SWR Television, 8.15 p.m.

Expedition to the homeland - On the Romantic Road

Good wines, legendary wonders and excellent cuisine - the Romantic Road in Tauberfranken has a lot to offer.

Friday, 19 October

hr-fernsehen, 21.00 hrs

Longing for Italy: Umbria and Tuscany

The province of Umbria, situated between Tuscany and the Marches, simply has everything that is so beloved about Italy. From there, it is not far to Siena and Florence - after all, Tuscany is also a land of dreams: world-famous testimonies of Italian cultural history combined with culinary experiences, sometimes fine, sometimes hearty, and in addition gently rolling hills, vineyards close together, small villages in Chianti, in between the parade of dark green cypresses.

Saturday, 20 October

Phoenix, 6.30 a.m.

Germany's Dream Roads - The Wine Route

The German Wine Route runs 85 kilometres from Bockenheim to the French border at Schweigen-Rechtenbach in the Palatinate. Exotic animals, balloonists, young people on longboards and traditional tobacco farmers show that there is much more to discover along this dream road between the Rhine plain and the Palatinate mountains than wine bliss.

Saturday, 20 October

hr-television, 12.35 p.m.

Der Winzerkönig (17) - Across the Border 39-part television series, Germany/ Austria 2006 - 2010

Georg Plattner is in a coma after his heart attack. According to the doctors, Andrea cannot hope for a quick recovery. Since she cannot run the winery alone, she asks her brother Thomas for help. Together with Grand Winemaker Schnell and Claudia's father Blasius Schmalzl, he spontaneously takes over the management of the Plattner estate. Thomas has to discover that the Hungarian winegrower recommended to him by Edina is her father David Legedy. He goes to Hungary anyway and is thrilled by the vines - it is exactly what he is missing after the frost. While Thomas has to fight on several fronts, Claudia keeps climbing the career ladder. She becomes a member of the Association of Successful Women Winegrowers and gets a teaching position at the wine academy.

Monday, 22 October

MDR Television, 8.55 a.m.

Der Winzerkönig (1) - Am Scheideweg TV series, Germany/Austria 2006

Thomas Stickler left his Burgenland hometown of Rust at an early age and made a career abroad. For years he has been working as a production director in a Frankfurt high-tech company. When it is decided at a meeting to outsource the company's production facilities to Hungary, he clashes with the management and quits his job. Thomas comes home earlier than usual that day: he promptly catches his wife Johanna in flagrante delicto with his friend and colleague Thorsten Schmidt. Thomas has had enough: he sees the need to rethink his life and his future and returns to his birthplace Rust and his childhood home, the Stickler Inn. The joy of reuniting with his parents Edi and Hermine, his sister Andrea and her husband Georg, as well as with Claudia, his former lover, is abruptly shattered by the sudden death of his father. Edi is laid to rest in the presence of the whole village and Thomas' family.

Monday, 22 October

ARD-alpha, 4.00 p.m.

alpha-retro: A Good Grape Juice Grows - Bacchus Disciples in the Elbe Valley Produced: German Democratic Republic, 1983

In 1983, GDR television portrayed the cultivation of wine on the Elbe around Meissen, where viticulture has been documented since the 13th century. To sweeten this portrait for the viewer, Kammersänger Reiner Süß led the way through the film as the wine god Bacchus. First we go to the wine museum in the Hoflößnitz and then "Bacchus" talks to real wine connoisseurs, cellar masters, winegrowers and hobby winegrowers and also the director of the VEG (Volkseigenes Gut) Weinbau Radebeul in a wine tavern in Diesbar-Seußlitz. They all tell him about their work and what wine on the Elbe is all about. And in between, Reiner Süß sings songs with wine or sparkling wine references in his distinctive bass, such as "Als Büblein klein an der Mutterbrust" from the opera "Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor" or "Fein, fein schmeckt uns der Wein" from the operetta "Der lachende Ehemann".

Tuesday, 23 October

MDR Television, 8.55 a.m.

Der Winzerkönig (2) - Unexpected In heritance TV series, Germany/Austria 2006

A surprise awaits the Stickler family at the reading of their will: against all expectations, Edi has left his vineyards not to his daughter Andrea, but to his son Thomas. Andrea and her husband, mayor Georg Plattner, who had previously leased Edi's vineyards, are extremely annoyed. Andrea feels left out, although her father had financed her own pharmacy years ago. She accuses her brother, who has lived abroad for years, of never having been there for the family. Since Georg also depends on the amount of grapes, he presses his brother-in-law to extend the original lease. Thomas has to decide whether to accept his father's inheritance or cede the land to Georg. As grand vintner Gottfried Schnell introduces Thomas more and more to the world of wine, something begins to change in Thomas. And Georg Plattner suddenly finds himself confronted with the fact that Thomas will not renew his lease, as he decides to become a winemaker himself.

Tuesday, 23 October

hr-television, 8.15 p.m.

Wonderful Hesse - Felsberg and the surrounding area

A region in Hesse that is often referred to as "Hessian Siberia": Felsberg and its surroundings, located about 25 kilometres south of Kassel. A special feature here is certainly Hessen's northernmost vineyard, the Böddiger Berg. And the wine is something to be proud of, at least that's what wine queen Karina Hilgenberg and Klaus Stiegel claim.

Wednesday, 24 October

MDR Television, 8.55 a.m.

Der Winzerkönig (3) - A New Testament TV series, Germany/Austria 2006

Thomas plans a fundamental renovation of the entire vineyard. Georg Plattner, meanwhile, is desperately trying to find new grapes for his processing. Thomas' mother Hermine Stickler, who is slowly learning to stand on her own two feet after her husband's death, also wants to renovate: Her inn is in desperate need of renewal. Thomas takes out a loan to modernise his winery. He is supported in his plans and introduced to the secrets of winegrowing by Claudia Plattner, his former lover and cellar master of the Schnell-Hof. Anna also makes a decision: she decides to stay with her father in Rust. She has already made one acquaintance. With Paul, the son Claudia and her ex-husband Georg Plattner share, she gets along right away. Andrea and Georg have not yet gotten over the loss of the vineyards. In order to get Edi's inheritance after all, they forge a will. But Thomas, with the help of the great winegrower Gottfried Schnell, manages to expose the fraud.

Wednesday, 24 October

ARD-alpha, 4.00 p.m.

alpha-retro: Wine and clever women Reportage, BRD 1968

In her report, the author investigated the increasing penetration of women into the ranks of wine connoisseurs, which until then had been provided exclusively by men. So this little reportage from 1968 was also "revolutionary" in that it claimed that women could also understand something about wine. Nowadays, it is nothing unusual for a woman to train as a sommelier, but at the end of the sixties, such an undertaking seemed almost impossible. On the other hand, even into the 19th century, there was still a so-called "Weiberzeche" in some parts of Germany once a year. And it was two French widows who made sparkling wine acceptable a good 150 years ago: Clicquot and Pommery. But even at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, it was still considered indelicate and unladylike for women to know something about wine. Such times are over today and this report shows how it came to be.

Thursday, 25 October

MDR Television, 8.55 a.m.

Der Winzerkönig (4) - New intrigues TV series, Germany/Austria 2006

At last the renovation work on Thomas' vineyard can begin. The ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a new, modern cellar takes place. But Georg Plattner is not defeated yet and spins new intrigues against Thomas. While Thomas' daughter Anna and Paul, Claudia's son, are just falling in love, another connection is put to the test. The husband of Elisabeth Horvath, a waitress at Hermine's inn, refuses to divorce her, thus endangering her love affair with Father Knopf. Claudia also has to fear for her ever-improving relationship with Thomas, because Thomas and the notary Dr. Petra Thaler are slowly getting closer to each other. Georg successfully makes life difficult for Thomas and hinders his renovation wherever he can. When the work is disrupted, Thomas suspects that Georg is behind his problems.

Friday, 26 October

MDR Television, 8.55 a.m.

Der Winzerkönig (5) - Shocking Truth TV series, Germany/Austria 2006

With master builder Schmalvogel's help, Georg successfully puts Thomas' new wine cellar behind schedule. But once again Gottfried Schnell helpfully assists his protégé and is able to intervene.

Friday, 26 October

ARD-alpha, 4.00 p.m.

alpha-retro: New spirit in old bottles? - Winegrowers in a Europarausch? Produced: Germany, 1989

This documentary report from 1989 shows how the winegrowers of Baden and Württemberg are preparing for the then imminent European Single Market. Among other things, the presentation of Baden wines in a gourmet restaurant in Alsace is shown, and there is a statement by the Baden and Württemberg winegrowers' associations on the question of quantity regulation for wine. The example of an organic winegrower shows how he manages without pesticides. In addition, the examples of the winegrowers' cooperatives Grantschen, Heilbronn, Remstal-Kellerei and the Baden Winzerkeller will show what is planned for the future in terms of products and marketing.

Saturday, 27 October

hr-television, 12.20 p.m.

The Vintner King (18) 39-part television seriesGermany/Austria 2006 - 2010

Saturday, 27 October

hr-television, 6.45 p.m.

Experience Hessen: Rheingau wine on new paths

The Rheingau and its wine have often been sung about - and filmed almost as often. But despite all the idylls and clichés: time has not stood still in this region either. Even in the beautiful Rheingau, residents - and especially the winegrowers - have to face new challenges. These include dealing with the clearly noticeable "climate change" as well as the search for modern forms of production and marketing. And of course, the Rheingau and its wine have also become a bit "multicultural" and globalised. The film observes how the wine develops in 2017 right up to the pressing and accompanies the protagonists in their work.

Saturday, 27 October

hr-television, 9.45 p.m.

Discoveries between Odenwald and Bergstrasse

The cinematic journey of discovery begins in the Odenwald. Its landscapes are diverse and varied. Mountains and mountain ranges suddenly exchange places with wide, open, then narrow valleys. Film author Volker Janovsky visits places like Hirschhorn in the far south and Darmstadt on the northern edge of the Odenwald. And that is exactly where the Bergstrasse begins. The Romans already knew that wine could be cultivated here, as they grew grapes along the "Strata Montana", the Bergstrasse, and Emperor Joseph II said of the Bergstrasse: "This is where Germany begins to become Italy".

Sunday, 28 October

ZDFneo, 7.10 a.m.

Terra X - The Power of the Seasons: Autumn & Winter

For winegrowers like Kilian Franzen and Angelina Lenz on the Calmont on the Moselle, Europe's steepest vineyard, autumn is still a busy time. For some years now, they have been starting the harvest earlier and earlier. Global warming makes it possible. It not only ensures that the fruit ripens earlier, but above all that new varieties of grape grow, the likes of which are actually only found in Italy or France.

Monday, 29 October

MDR Television, 8.55 a.m.

Der Winzerkönig (6) - A World Coll apses TV series, Germany/Austria 2006

Tuesday, 30 October

MDR Television, 8.55 a.m.

Der Winzerkönig(7) - Blind Jealousy Television series, Germany/Austria 2006

Tuesday, 30 October

Bavarian Television, 11.55 a.m.

Spain's most beautiful islands

Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands, is a bizarre beauty. For this volcanic island shows a multitude of colours in the rough lava rock - a surprising palette framed by the steel-blue sea and snow-white spray. Lanzarote is the first island to be declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, including all its villages. You won't find any bed castles here. Instead, Lanzarote has small, cosy fincas, some surrounded by ancient vines, each protected by round stone walls.

Tuesday, 30 October

hr-television, 21.00

Experience Hesse: Among convent sisters

"A convent is a great talent shed. You discover things about yourself that you had no idea about before." This is what Sister Thekla says, who first learned the profession of winemaker at the St. Hildegard convent in Rüdesheim - because it was needed. The monastery includes extensive vineyards where grapes are harvested for the monastery's own white and red wine. Sister Thekla also walks through the vineyard with groups of visitors. Viticulture, like the monastery shop, the goldsmiths or the ceramics workshops, is a separate branch of the economy that finances monastic life in Rüdesheim.

Wednesday, 31 October

SWR Television, 7.00 a.m.

The Kaiserstuhl

The Kaiserstuhl - a small island-like elevation in the middle of the Upper Rhine Graben, famous for good wines and sunny weather.

Wednesday, 31 October

arte, 7.40 p.m.

Chinese on a buying sp ree - The changing face of the Bordeaux wine region

Chinese investors are buying up wineries and châteaux in Bordeaux, in the southwest of France, on a grand scale. They are enthusiastic about the French way of life and the red wines, which in China are synonymous with a luxurious lifestyle. But what does the Chinese shopping frenzy mean for the Bordeaux wine region? The Chinese Li Lijuan is a real estate agent, her clients are among the richest men in China and Taiwan: industrial magnates, tycoons, stockbrokers. Men who count their fortunes in billions. Li Lijuan profits from the new trend among Asian billionaires: Suddenly everyone wants to own a wine chateau in France. In China, after all, one no longer wants to be considered "nouveau riche", but wants to prove class by buying into European tradition. Li Lijuan accompanies the Taiwanese investor Chengchang Lu, who has just bought the Château Bel Air wine estate in Bordeaux, to Saint-Émilion. The medieval town is the epicentre of the Bordeaux wine region. No other place symbolises so well the combination of tradition, French lifestyle and ancient wine culture. Once a year, the official start of the wine harvest is ceremoniously announced here. On this occasion, Chengchang Lu, together with other Asians, is ceremoniously enthroned as a new member by the 800-year-old wine fraternity "La Jurade". If you look at viticulture from a purely economic point of view, you can only welcome all this. Thanks to traders and investors from the Middle Kingdom, the prices and profits of French winegrowers have exploded. No wonder: despite a slump in exports in recent years, China remains the main customer for Bordeaux wines. The programme is also available online from 31/10 to 30/11 on ARTE's internet portal.

Chinese winery owner Hugo Thian (right).

Spiegel TV/Jörg-Daniel Hissen
Programme changes at short notice are possible.

Related Magazine Articles

View All
More
More
More
More
More
More
More
More
More
More

EVENTS NEAR YOU

PREMIUM PARTNERS