Has the number of visitors changed compared to the time before the pandemic? They both answer that the rush has become much bigger than initially suspected. At the "aend" the high summer months are already fully booked, the "Mraz&Sohn" is even booked up to two months in advance, according to Reither. While in the first phase of the reopening more expensive bottles were ordered than before, consumption has now returned to a "very good quality and price level". "People have not changed, not personally and not in their drinking behaviour," is Thomas Reither's assessment of the post-Corona turnover. Simon Schubert, Sommelier of the Year 2020, has observed, however, that "many things that were previously taken for granted and suddenly no longer possible, such as a visit to the inn, are again being perceived more consciously. Guests don't necessarily consume more expensive or more, but they engage more intensively with the wine they ordered."
The guests are more intensively engaged with the wine they have ordered.
Neither of them has identified any new trends. It is more a matter of normal seasonal fluctuations, i.e. light and fruity in summer. In their estimation, however, structured and precise wines are more in demand than before Corona: "Burgundy is profiting greatly from this, it has only been going uphill for five years. But organic and natural wines are also enjoying a slow, continuous upward curve," observes Thomas Reither.
The currently often lamented lack of staff after the end of the lockdown is nothing new for him, however: "We have been struggling with this for seven years. Well-trained staff are almost impossible to find!" In the "aend", the small, well-coordinated team could be kept together over the course of the pandemic. But Simon Schubert is sure: "The problem will remain the number one issue in the industry in the coming years."
Nevertheless, there have been no Corona-related price increases in the two star restaurants. Thomas Reither has a clear position on this: "Any restaurateur who wants to take advantage of the situation now to raise prices will probably not be able to survive in the longer term anyway." Simon Schubert also thinks significant price increases send the wrong signal: "It's much more fun for everyone if you can also sell the very expensive wines and they don't just sit in the cellar."