Page 90 - Travel + Leisure India & South Asia (January 2020)

R OYA LT Y
Within the vineyard’s minimalist innards, we inspect
gargantuan wine-making steel machines as well as a
lineup of doughty oak drums, in which they’re stored.
The nucleus of the vineyard, however, is its underground
cellar where wine has been stored since the 18 century.
th
Old photos of the Liechtenstein royals with
Hollywood celebrities and heads of state line its gravelly,
sepia-toned walls. The cavernous and cool space also
offers a refreshing respite from the scorching sun. Pretty
much like the rest of Europe, the Liliputian nation has
experienced an unusually hot summer this year with
temperatures ratcheting up to 40° Celsius.
But apparently, such weather spells great news for the
grapes. “In warmer weather, grapes ripen more easily,
leading to lower acidity, higher sugar levels, and darker
hue. The higher levels of sugar allows for greater levels of
alcohol, which makes the wine more full-bodied,” says
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The wine cellar of the prince.
The winery’s restaurant,
Torkel, serves local cuisine
to go with the wines.
Sohler. Hofkellerei also offers wine-tasting
courses with advance booking. It also has its
own wine library and a speciality restaurant,
Torkel, which serves authentic local cuisine.
We wander around the eatery’s capacious
dining room where cheeses and hams and
other Instagrammable delicacies are
displayed on chequered table cloths. “It’s for
a big private event,” says Sohler.
Wines produced under the Prince of
Liechtenstein’s Hofkellerei label are exclusive
and not exported beyond Switzerland or
Germany, we’re told. Even within the
country, Hofkellerei’s wine sales are limited
to exclusive restaurants, specialised retailers,
and the winery. The prince also has a
personal whiskey brand, which can be tasted
and purchased here. A selection of wines
from other regions—from France to
California—are also available.
To deepen community bonds, each
April, the winery hosts The Wine Gustation
ceremonies, where locals and expats gather
in a fun-filled atmosphere to taste the
new wine. In autumn, during the grape-
harvesting season, locals are invited to pick
the year’s harvest and then treated to a
delicious wine-fuelled meal.
FROM TOP: DENNIS COX/ALAMY; IMAGEBROKER/ALAMY