Wine Tasting in the Austrian Alps

One of the highlights of my trip to Austria was a lovely lunch and wine tasting on the side of a mountain. The woman who runs the restaurant and guest rooms is the top sommelier in Austria, Anne Marie Foidl. She’s the kind of woman, when you meet her you just want to be her. Gorgeous, smart, beautiful accent and plain old nice.

She runs this incredible old mountain hut with a huge deck overlooking the Alps. We ate fresh cheeses and spreads and meats and breads looking out on an incredible, vast view. The food was incredible – all local and home made and in season. And the presentation was gorgeous – pretty glasses and napkin holders and table cloths. The platters of food were all decorated with mountain wildflowers. Just beautiful.

{The view from the deck!}

{Aren’t those the sweetest seats? What a lovely place to sit and enjoy the view!}

{Even the window boxes were perfect – I’d love to find some old wine boxes to plant geraniums!}

{I may have brought home a few of these pretty porcelain napkin holders – with permission, of course!}

{A whole bowl of pretty napkin holders!}

After lunch, she led us downstairs to the wine cellar, the hallways were lit with candles and the walls were lined with dusty wine bottles. We tried four wines and learned so much about Austrian wines. I was so smitten I even brought back a few bottles!

{The sommelier herself, in traditional dress}

{Dramatic lighting in the wine cellar.}

{Isn’t that an awesome moose candelabra?}

{And this clock might have been my absolute favorite in the whole cellar. Good thing I didn’t take it home too!}