Weingärtner Esslingen - Outstanding Vinothek in Württemberg
Swabians are a little different from other people. They have their own dialect and quaint words, for example, a ‘Kischtle’ for a six-carton case of the wine that grows on the slopes around Esslingen - a city that has its enchanting sides, but of course also those where the prosperity of the region is generated. Less than 500 metres as the crow flies from the newly defined home of the winegrowers' cooperative, for example, the famous star on the roof of the Daimler factory rotates.
And what are the proud winegrowers up to? They built a glass balcony out from the top floor and now enjoy a magnificent view over the Neckar valley: to the district of Mettingen, the gently rolling vineyards all around and yes, also to the industrial area in front of their feet. Stuttgart in the distance. Everything belongs together, and those who want to enjoy prosperity are welcome to see where it comes from.
The Esslingen architect Martin Gaysert had envisaged more freshness, more honesty, more sense for the essentials. To recognise and recover the treasures of the surroundings: the vision that gave the new building its name, the proximity to the Weingärten (vineyards), the starting point of the hiking trails - from the stroller-friendly path between the vines to the entrance to the steep slopes. And the master builder took on the task with gusto, dismantled and gutted the core, added another storey on top, created a sheltered inner courtyard for sitting together over a glass of wine and a balcony to the front for moments of breathing it all in. And thus, the previously rather rough functional building was given its own character: modern and self-assured, open and attractive.
With generous openings and wide perspectives, with elegantly curved lines that take up the curve of the surrounding topography or even that of a wine bottle lying on its side, and new, artfully-lit sales rooms. And where natural stone, glass and wood leave room for colours, green and red dominate. They stand for the city of Esslingen, but the reference to the white and red wines of the region does not need to be pointed out.
The 100 winegrowers of the Esslingen cooperative are enthusiastic. They cultivate the heritage of many generations before them, maintain a balance between closeness to nature and solid business - and therefore know when the time is ripe to cut off withered shoots. Indeed, today new customers find their way up to the hillside location or even to the vinothek in the old town: young people who take advantage of the programme of seminars and meetings, who drink a ‘Gläsle’ (glass of wine) at the end of a hike or have discovered their passion for modern cuisine and are now looking for the right wine. And even among the regular customers who pick up their ‘Kischtle’, no one is said to have complained that nothing has remained of the rustic, down-to-earth wood-panelled walls and old woodcarvings.
Opening Time
Monday - Friday: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sunday: 12:00 am – 4:00 pm
