The 5th Joint Heurigen Evening at the Buschenschank Wolff

It’s always nice to meet Old Friends and make New Acquaintances

There may be some who are still not aware of a simple fact. To them I address these memorable words: It IS a piece of heaven, Vienna and the Wine…[1]

But let me start from the beginning. Having been chosen by our President, Dr. Kurt Tiroch, for the onerous tasks not only to write a few admiring words but also to take some photographs, I made sure that I appeared punctually and clocked in at precisely 5 pm (I was aware of the big responsibility resting on my shoulders!) to record the steady flow of arriving guests.

Uniquely, there were no speeches from our President, no set Agenda, simply sun, wine and happy faces. The scene was set for the 5th Joint ABS/ABC Heurigen Evening at the Buschenschank Wolff (with Double F as Corporate Member Wolff reminded me in person).

Buschenschank Wolff generously provided us, as an opener, with a complimentary Heurigen Jause, a basket of warm crusty rolls and a selection of spreads (my favourite was the “Verhackerte”, for the uninitiated this is chopped smoked pork). Fast and efficient service kept the wine flowing as did my wine glass, which poured its content three times over my shirt and shorts. An elegant wineglass (bad choice) with a narrow base and wide gaps between the slats of the table top hidden underneath the table cloth and a wobbly table leg made for poor balance and wet trousers.

Remarkable was the sales technique of our friendly waitress. I don’t think anyone was able or dared to refuse the Melon Punch, “especially prepared for your party”, as she pointed out, and tasty it was indeed.

So the hot afternoon flowed like the cool wine into a pretty hot evening and amongst the coming and goings of our guests (I counted at one stage 60) our President, displaying remarkable stamina, popped up at almost every table in the garden.

When, after nearly four hours, having bagged close to 200 photographs, we finally did leave the party it became clear to me that for many who stayed behind the night was still very young! On this occasion, I told myself, the night had to get old without me.

Wolfgang Geissler

[1] „Das muss ein Stück vom Himmel sein

Wien und der Wein, Wien und der Wein,
Das ward auf Erden nicht erdacht,
Denn das ist so himmlisch gemacht.

Sitzt man verträumt in Wien beim Wein,
Und nicht allein, dann sieht man's ein:
Das muß ein Stück vom Himmel sein
Wien und der Wein, Wien und der Wein"
 

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