It was an April night a hundred years ago when two intrepid friends crossed the Bodensee from the northern German shore to the southern shore in Switzerland, to smuggle home a promising cross that could revive the fortunes of the exhausted economy of German winemakers: that of Müller-Thurgau, whose cultivation was prohibited in Germany due to a complex trade war with Switzerland. After vicissitudes and averted dangers, the cultivation of this delicate wine with floral notes was finally permitted on the Bodensee, and it quickly became one of the most popular and beloved wines in the country, and beyond. When visiting Lake Constance, a glass of Müller-Thurgau is always present to accompany freshly caught fish, Alpine cheeses and dried meats from the region’s farms. Cheers!

Credits: Internationale Bodensee Tourismus GmbH, Achim Mende