It is safe to say that only one person at Vinexpo 2012 was sporting a tiara. The German Wine Princess, Elisabeth Born. The German Wine Princess (or Princesses, as there can be up to three elected and crowned each year) is a representative of the German Wine Queen (also appointed annually), who travels the world, attending wine fairs and celebrations, meetings and conferences, educating wine lovers about the variety and quality of German wines and acting a royal mascot for the industry.
We spoke about the quality of German wines and the success that they have had in the Asian markets. We also briefly discussed the signing of the Declaration of Intent on Co-operation in Wine-related Business between Hong Kong and Germany, an agreement which will facilitate the co-operation between the two countries in wine fairs and exhibitions, education, tourism, storage and auctioneering. Elisabeth let me in on one of her favorite pairings of Asian food and German wine, two characters which harmonize very well with each other in her opinion.
Mr. Andrew Wong and Mr. Peter Bleser at the Signing of the Declaration of Intent on Co-operation in Wine-related Business between Hong Kong and Germany
Signing Ceremony of the Declaration
Our interview follows:
My name is Elisabeth Born. I am the German Wine Princess and I’m here at the Vinexpo in Hong Kong with a lot of German winemakers and the German Wine Institute, of course, and I’m here to promote our fantastic German wines and it’s been a lot of fun. We have fantastic Rieslings, fantastic Pinot Noirs and it’s a great pleasure for me to be here.
And how do you feel about the agreement between Hong Kong and Germany to promote German wines here?
It’s a great thing. I think it’s very good to promote German wines. I mean, our wines are great, they’re fantastic. They’re unique, elegant, modern, individual. And I think that German wines and Asian food are perfect partners. Our wines have a nice acidity and a nice harmony and we think that German wines with that acidity are a good partner to the spicy Asian flavors.
Have you tried any particular Asian dish during your stay in Hong Kong that you would recommend with a German wine?
Yes, sure. Last night we went to small restaurant and I think it was typical Chinese and it was very nice and I really enjoyed the food there. Of course it was Peking duck and I tried a nice dry Riesling to that and it was really a good combination, and there was a harmony between both and I really enjoyed that.
Ok, thank you for your time. I hope you have a good rest of Vinexpo.
You’re welcome.