The wine can be bought:

In the United Kingdom from Tony Augustin, “Noble Rot”, 94 Dollis Hill Lane, London, NW2 6JD; Telephone and Fax 020 8452 1924.

In the United States from Bill Vogt, Chapin Cellars LLC, 7536 E. Fullerton, Springfield, VA, 22153; Telephone (703) 455 4700. www.chapincellars.com

In the rest of the world it can be ordered from Henning and Hiltrud Hupfeld, Weingut Hupfeld, Rheingaustraße 113, 65375 Oestrich-Winkel, Germany; Telephone 49 67 23 1398; Fax 49 67 23 8 8423; e-mail koenigin-victoriaberg @t-online.de

www.koenigin-victoriaberg.de.

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The best glass of wine to sip while reading about Queen Victoria is Hochheim’s Königin Victoriaberg

“A Historical Visit and Its Consequences

This south-sloping vineyard on the River Main near where it joins the Rhine acquired its name due to a brilliant idea from its first owner G. M. Papstmann. He took the opportunity of inviting the English Queen Victoria to his impressive vineyard during her tour of Germany in 1845 which was to include an excursion to Hochheim. The city elders at that time praised this vineyard in a document as “one of the most beautiful and best vineyards of the Hochheim area.” Such a prime estate was the ideal showplace for exhibiting the high quality of the Hochheim wines. Since these wines were already well-known in England, and under the abbreviation HOCK, the young Queen and her German husband, Prince Albert, were pushed to attend a wine-tasting at the wine’s palace of origin. This one-time honour from her Royal Majesty, however, did not fully satisfy this clever winegrower. Having kept the Court’s interest in his estate alive, he was granted a document as a mark of favour in December 1850, allowing him to call his vineyard “Königin Victoriaberg” in commemoration of that special visit.

The English neo-gothic monument in the middle of the vineyard was unveiled on the occasion of the 35th birthday of Queen Victoria on 24th May 1854 and the labels for this wine still commemorate that historical event.

Even today the wines are served to the English Royal Family on visits to Germany, for example at Schloß Bellevue in November 1995, when the Federal President invited Prince Charles to dinner.

In 1918 the winegrower Josef Neus from Ingelheim acquired this renowned vineyard and by succession it has passed to the Hupfeld family, who are the sole owners of it today.

Here are some details about the type and quality of VICTORIABERG wines. On the 12.5 acre estate the wines mature, favoured by the south-facing slopes and intensive heat reflection of the River Main. The cultivation of the vineyard is carried out according to ecologically strict regulations of the Rheingau Winegrower’s Association. In order to achieve the highest quality, the vintage is restricted to 150 hl per acre by appropriate cutting of the vines. The vinification takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. This is how typical Riesling wines are produced, typified by fruity ripeness, body and elegance.

HOW TO FIND THE HUPFELD KÖNIGIN VICTORIABERG ESTATE:

Drive from highway A66 in Wiesbaden to Route B42 toward Rüdesheim. Driving parallel to the Rhine river, take the exit “Mittelheim/Autofähre Ingelheim.”

The preceding text has been extracted from materials supplied by the estate and is re-printed with permission.

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Explore more about the book:

Introduction     Foreword      Synthèse     Contents     Recommended      The Launch     Wine     Reviews     Contact      Follow the Footsteps of the Queen Victoria on the Riviera

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