The main street through tiny Dittlesheim is dotted with small wineries like Uwe Spies, simple buildings with courtyards and cellars full of wine barrels:
We stop by about once a quarter to sit in the tasting room, try or retry several wines and then buy several cases to bring home (we have taken to having a bottle with dinner nearly every night). The room is normally filled with long tables for sitting and imbibing. The tables had been moved out and the center of the room was empty with tables all around the outside with the new wines set out to try. One of the owners (usually their son David, who has recently joined the business) was always on hand in the room to answer questions or make suggestions, but it was otherwise help yourself.
When you found a wine you particularly liked, you could pour yourself a glass, go sit at tables that were set up in the courtyard for the day, and relax.
You could also buy some new salt roasted potatoes, or cake or a salad made from the small leaves of the burgunder grapes (small and delicate and very different than the large grape leaves we are used to seeing stuffed in Greek dishes):
and, of course, while we munched and relaxed we put in orders for new cases! Uwe was busy all afternoon wheeling out dollies full of wine to the various cars. We bought about half new wine, and half some of our old favourites which were on special:
I have to say, this is such a NICE way to shop. Very relaxing and personal. There is no disconnect at all between the consumer and producer in this case.
--Hadley
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