So German!

• What is the role of a wine queen? A concept that is little known abroad or in regions without viticulture.

As a wine queen, you are the face of winegrowers within a region or of whole Germany for one year. You represent the winegrowers at various events, e.g. by hosting wine tastings and seminars or again by opening wine festivals and trade fairs. At these events, you are in contact with a lot of people, who are interested in wine and want to learn more about Germany’s wine regions. You may also have the chance to meet some “celebrities” from politics, media or sports, for example, the German Minister of Agriculture, Julia Klöckner.

•  Are there any places or events within the approximately 400 you had in the past year that are particularly memorable?

What I remember from my time as Franconian Wine Queen is rather the “overall concept”: Being in public for a year, meeting interesting people you would never have met otherwise and seeing places you would never have had the chance to visit.

Of course, there are a few events that stand out, for example, meeting Chancellor Angela Merkel, the New Year’s ski jumping in Garmisch-Partenkirchen or my trip to China. Also, getting to know my own home region enriched me incredibly.

•  What exactly was your role at the wine fair in Québec?

I had the great privilege of being the guest of honour at the opening and welcoming guests to the event with my speech. Of course, I did a lot of advertising for our German wines. 😉 It was quite challenging to speak in French in front of so many professionals. Besides, I also hosted seminars with wine journalist Nadia Fournier on the subject of Dry Rieslings and helped to manage the tasting zone at the Vins d’Allemagne booth.

• How was the experience at the Salon des vins et des spiritueux? How did you experience the wine fair?

I was pleased to see that so many people showed interest in German wine and the seminars. People wanted to learn as much as possible about them. Moreover, I had the impression that the guests were very conscious about wine and were real connoisseurs! The staff were all very friendly and took good care of me as the “exotic foreigner” at the fair. I was even able to try a rosé wine from Québec, which truly inspired me. So all in all, I had very positive experiences at the Salon des vins.

•  What significance do German (and especially Franconian) wines have in Québec/Canada?

Québec is a very wine-enthusiastic region with a good wine selection in the SAQ [Société des alcools du Québec]. More German wines will be offered in the future, because our light, fruity and acid-emphasized wines are gaining in popularity here. There is a slight prejudice that German wines are predominantly sweet, but the majority of the wines produced in Germany are dry or semi-dry. I hope that the proportion of Franconian wines available in Canada will increase as well. In Franconia, the structures are somewhat smaller than in other wine-growing regions. We have many small, family-run wineries, whose wines are a rarity that should not be left on the shelf. 😉

•  Are your Romance studies helpful for travel and events?

Studying Romance languages and literature is definitely an advantage. I think that is also one reason why I was chosen to represent our wines in Québec. It is always nice to talk to people in their mother tongue, even if my French is not perfect. I think by learning a language, you get one step closer to the culture and mentality of the country and its people and create a good connection to locals right from the start.

•  Is this your first time in Canada? What is your impression of the country and its people?

Yes, it’s my first time “on the other side of the Atlantic”. My impression is that the people here are very relaxed and open. You get into a conversation very quickly and the people are super friendly and helpful. I also tasted the typical dish poutine in a traditional restaurant, which I liked very much. 😉

•  Did you head to other destinations during your stay in Canada?

I mainly stayed in Québec and the surrounding area. Of course, the picturesque old town is a must see. And then on the Île d’Orléans, I tried various regional specialities such as the apple cider or coffee with maple syrup. Furthermore, I wanted to see the spectacular landscape, so I went to the Montmorency waterfalls and went hiking in Jacques-Cartier National Park. The landscape looked like it was from a picture book, simply fantastic!

•  What inspirations and personal experiences did your time as a wine queen/princess afford you? What are your future projects?

On the one hand, of course, I am taking in an incredible amount of experience and challenges that have helped me mature. On the other hand, my attachment to my home region has also been strengthened, because when you tell people about your home country, you realize how diverse it is. That is why I would like to start studying tourism in order to combine intercultural encounters with the love of my country.