Franco-German friendship, bottled up. To mark the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Elysée Treaty between Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer on January 22, 1963, the German Embassy in France had the idea of calling on two winegrowers, on each side of the border. Pierre-Yves Meyer from Blienschwiller, at home in Alsace, and Fabian Zähringer, from Heitersheim, in Baden-Württemberg, work hand in hand in this highly symbolic jaja. 2500 bottles of this blend of Franco-German white wine, destined to be tasted by the Heads of State of the two countries on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty, in January 2023.
The harvest of French grapes, on a small plot of the Meyer vineyard, in Blienschwiller took place this Thursday. This is not the first time that the two very old families of winegrowers – more than twenty generations – have worked hand in hand. In 2007, parents Meyer and Zähringer bottled their mixed productions on the Rhine, in the same keels. A symbol of Franco-German friendship coupled with a charitable operation. “This Franco-German friendship means a lot of things to us. We are proud to be able to take part in it”rejoices Pierre-Yves Meyer.
It’s also important to take care of friendship on a daily basis, not just to toast in Berlin and Paris.
Beyond the symbols, the weight of history and the prestige of the golds of the Republic under which this white wine will be drunk, what retains Fabian Zähringer is a frank camaraderie, an everyday fraternity: “For us, it’s also important to nurture friendship on a daily basis, not just to toast in Berlin and Paris. That’s why it’s an important symbol that we celebrate our friendship here together. When our wines are mixed, it’s maybe something better will come out of it than each wine separately”.
Diplomatic initiative
The idea for this commemorative Franco-German cuvée was born three weeks ago, in the offices of the German Embassy in Paris. “We wanted to do something concrete, something that is tangible and that speaks to people. We chose these winegrowers because they have the required experience. In addition to the picking, and the tight timing, many administrative issues must be taken into account”, reveals the director of the press department of the German embassy in France, Achim Holzenberger.