Grammelschmalz Bread & Great Red Wine Are A Perfect Combination.

This weekend I discovered two amazing facts.

Many good things arrive via an avenue aptly called " an evening out with friends ". Bob and I were invited to a birthday party on Saturday and as we are in wine - mecca, it of course, was a get together in a Kellerstöckl smack bang in the middle of the local vineyards. Even walking to it was a smorgasbord of new mental screensavers. Of course it is far better to walk to a party especially if you know that wine is on offer.

I was ahead of time for a change and had a fabulous opportunity to chat with the birthday gal and her family. Preparations were done and the rest of the crowd was late so she put out a plate of appetizers and a bottle of wine.

The appetizers consisted of a slice of freshly made rye bread covered with a liberal portion of Grammelschmalz and topped with a smattering of finely sliced red onions. A first for me, but I didn't want to be rude so I tried a small piece.

Oh my goodness, my taste buds had just had a wake up call of note. It tasted out of this world. Simply tasty and oh so moreish. Naturally I know that Schmalz is essentially fat. Only fat. Pure fat and so I had mostly avoided it in the past. Someone, sometime has done a real number on all of us women in regard to eating anything even resembling fat. One could almost call us brainwashed!

Let me tell you, that I am now officially addicted to Grammelschmalz bread! Gosh, I even ordered it yesterday in the Buschenschank and my Mum nearly fell off her chair in surprise. You know, unless I eat it every day there is nothing wrong with adding a Grammelschmalz bread to my culinary input.

As for the other fact garnered this weekend: while we ate this Grammelschmalz extravaganza, the hostess told me to open a bottle of red that she had lying around in the cellar.

" If it's not nice Biggi, just pour it down the sink. "

What, never! Most wine drinkers do look at a label automatically and when I did so, I realized that it was wine made by my hosts.

The wine we drank was a 2007 Blaufränkisch and when her husband came to the party later, he explained to me that as he doesn't have the time, he stopped making wine and has what is left in the cellar. Oh yes, you better believe it that when he asked me

" Biggi, would you like to see the wine cellar and taste what is there? "

I was already waiting at the door in anticipation.

It was too good an opportunity for Bob to pass up and he came with. Not far, but just down the stairs into a proper wine cellar. Built with natural cooling elements...underground and with stone walls. Small but complete with two wooden barrels and about 200 bottles of wine stacked along the walls.

Our host took out the stopper of the barrel ( it is a 2005 or so wine ) along with a long pipette and proceeded to fill our glasses with it. Oh, this was Nirvana for me. Just the surroundings alone made me feel like an archaeologist who discovers a mummy.

Tasting his wine was an honour and a revelation as it tasted fantastic. It felt like I was sipping velvet...imagine if he were to still make new vintages and the possibilities!

Back at the party, now and again Bob and I would get a glass filled the special way...with a pipette and from that barrel in the cellar. Luckily he never revealed to me where the key to the cellar is because that cellar is too tempting indeed and within walking distance....

The amazing facts I learned:

1. We have another friend who is a good at making wine...and a jolly nice person to boot.
2. Grammelschmalz is out of this world.

Biggi