Das Erste (ARD), 1.40 p.m.
The winegrower Anna Landsberg (Ruth Maria Kubitschek) is a vital woman who has been running the family vineyard in the Black Forest on her own since her husband died.
NDR Television, 5.15 a.m.
Where is the "Tuscany of the East"? This cultural landscape is located in southern Moravia between the magnificent castles of Valtice and Lednice and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wine from this region is not as famous as Czech beer. Quite unfairly, as "Hanseblick" presenter Stefanie Gromes wants to prove. Therefore, she is on her way to the southeasternmost part of the Czech Republic for the grape harvest. Early in the morning she will pick the typical Palava grapes with winemaker Jan and also process them in the family business. She is also getting to know the next generation of winegrowers at the oldest wine school in the Czech Republic. Finally, in the wine salon at Valtice Castle, she will be able to taste the 100 best wines from South Moravia together with a sommelier. And whether the landscape of South Moravia is perhaps even more beautiful than Italy's Tuscany is another question Stefanie Gromes tries to answer.
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Das Erste (ARD), 10.45 a.m.
SWR Television (RP), 6.15 p.m.
Venerable Palatinate oaks are turned into fine wooden barrels for wine and whisky: the Wilhelm Eder barrel-making company in Bad Dürkheim in the Palatinate is one of the largest in Europe. The coopers there build high-quality wooden barrels mainly from local oak trees. To create very special wine or whisky aromas, they carefully roast the barrels with fire. A ritual that requires all the skills of the cooper.
arte, 12.05 p.m.
The actor and gourmet Gérard Depardieu has set off on a journey through Europe with the chef Laurent Audiot. Together they explore the culture and culinary specialities of the respective regions and visit the producers of very special foods. Gérard Depardieu and Laurent Audiot are on the road in the Basque Country, a region that is more distinctive than any other despite its division into two parts - the north is in France, the south in Spain. Gérard and Laurent stop off in Itxassou on the way to Hendaye on the Atlantic coast. There, Michel and Thérèse Riouspeyrous are ready to receive them at the Arretxea vineyard. The vineyard of Irouléguy is one of the smallest in France and the only one in the French Basque Country. The programme is also available online from 03/01 to 02/02 on ARTE's internet portal.
rbb Fernsehen, 2.30 p.m.
Sometimes life is very hard: First the spirited wine merchant Sonja catches her husband with his mistress, then she gets caught in a traffic control because of excessive speed. Finally, the extremely correct judge Dr. Alain Mayer sits in judgement on Sonja and revokes her driving licence. And so Sonja has to travel by train to Würzburg to get new wines. On the train she meets her strict judge Mayer, of all people. Sonja's wine business finally takes a turn for the better, as she meets Alain's son Robert by chance and learns that Alain comes from a renowned Alsatian winegrowing family. Robert, who unlike his father carries on the family's "wine tradition", becomes Sonja's business partner.
rbb Television, 11.00 p.m.
If broker Max Skinner had to answer the question of what really counts in life, he would know the answer immediately: success. But then his Uncle Henry dies. Henry leaves his nephew his vineyard in France. Max wants to sell it as quickly as possible. But the trip to Provence becomes a journey into his own past and Max rethinks his life up to now. Winemaker Francis Duflot, whom Max knows from his childhood and who taught him everything about good wine, is horrified that Max wants to sell Henry's life's work. But Max has no intention of becoming a winegrower and swapping his luxurious city life for a simple existence in the country. A walk through the vineyard brings back memories of his uncle. However, this does not stop him from his plans to sell.
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GEO Television, 6.00 a.m.
Most people know the Indonesian island of Bali as a tropical holiday paradise. In the meantime, however, Bali is also in international demand as a wine-growing region. Entrepreneur Rai Burdasa grows eight varieties of Balinese wine here - all of them a cross between blue table grapes called Alphonse Lavallée in France. But unlike in France, he grows the vines in the shape of a pergola. This way, the foliage forms a natural roof and protects the delicate grapes from heavy rain and direct sunlight. But heavy monsoons have now increased the amount of water in the soil, threatening to alter the unique flavour of apricot, walnut and vanilla. If Rai Burdasa doesn't come up with something soon, the flavours could change and the unique success story could turn into a bankruptcy. But Rai Burdasa is not just an entrepreneur - as a member of the High Caste, the entrepreneur hopes for the assistance of the gods.
SWR Television, 11.30 a.m.
Where does good wine grow in the state? Wine growing in the Saarland has a tradition dating back over 2,000 years. Picturesquely situated on the Upper Moselle in the border triangle of Luxembourg, France and Germany, Sarah Wiener visits the Herber vineyard in Perl. Harvesters and family have been coming together for the September grape harvest for three generations. Grandmother Hildegard Herber, now 90 years old, has been working in her parents' vineyard since childhood. For one week, Sarah Wiener's life revolves around wine. She becomes part of the winegrowing family, gets to know harvest workers from France, Poland and Germany, works with them and cooks for them. Hot discussions sometimes break out when they eat together in the vineyard: What do the French think of German wine, who looks deeper into the glass in the end? Or about which dishes the French-Algerian harvest workers prefer and what Sarah brings to the table as a final meal for four nations.
arte, 12.05 p.m.
In the tri-border region of Piedmont, the sight of the steeply sloping hillsides with the Barolo vines seems quintessentially Italian. Barolo wine must mature for at least three years. It is made from a unique grape variety called Nebbiolo. Its creator, winemaker Cesare Benvenuto, runs a family estate. Here, too, we see that quality is often based on knowledge and skills that have been preserved over generations. The programme is also available online from 04/01 to 03/02 on ARTE's internet portal.
3sat, 12.00 p.m.
The Rhine flows through Germany for over 800 kilometres. Vineyards and castles make it a tourist attraction, but it is also an important trade route.
arte, 12.05 p.m.
Fresh water is very rare on the island of Ischia, despite the hot springs. Nevertheless, viticulture has a long tradition here. On Ischia, rabbits live in underground caves. They are bred in pits and tunnels up to 300 metres long under the vines. The programme is also available online from 05/01 to 04/02 on ARTE's internet portal.
Bavarian Television, 10.00 p.m.
Many dream of it, but only a few have made it - performing once at the "Fastnacht in Franken" or the "Närrische Weinprobe". Many came, many went and few have lasted. Sebastian Reich, who was supposed to appear only once in the "Närrische Weinprobe", still inspires the Franconian fools today.
SWR Television, 6.05 a.m.
Castle and palace owners in Baden-Württemberg open the doors to their salons. The days when they could liven up their castles and palaces with lots of staff and large parties are a thing of the past. How do the owners manage to keep their houses alive? Count Felix Adelmann can afford the luxury of Schaubeck Castle near Ludwigsburg with its flourishing winery.
SWR Television (RP), 6.15 p.m.
Opening the boot and loading the wine crates into the car used to be a thing of the past. Today, customers expect more when buying wine and vintners have reacted to this. The vinotheque is the business card of a winery, sometimes even of an entire wine-growing region. A self-confident new generation of winegrowers is setting its own accents. These winemakers have travelled the world and have a much broader horizon than previous generations. A vinotheque is a statement - the personality of the winegrowers as well as that of the wines should be expressed. The architectural solutions are correspondingly individual. Some are new creations, others make strong reference to traditions or existing buildings. All the vinotheques in this film compilation have won awards in recent years. We talk to winegrowers and also to the architects. What were the ideas behind them? What were the specifications? How were they realised? What makes them unique?
arte, 8.50 a.m.
Whether it's a glass of wine with dinner or a cold beer after work - alcohol is usually a natural part of our society. And it is often underestimated. The programme is also available online from 06/01 to 06/04 on the ARTE internet portal.
SWR Television, 2.10 p.m.
Where did fruit trees blossom most beautifully in spring before the big frost came at the end of April? What was it like during the grape harvest and the first snow in the mountains at the beginning of November? The SWR weather reporters present the most beautiful weather impressions in their review of the year and at the same time show the southwest as the seasons change.
hr-fernsehen, 6.00 p.m.
Twice a week, more than fifty farmers, vintners, gardeners, bakers, cheesemakers, fish farmers, beekeepers and butchers offer their specialities at the Konstablerwache, all of which they have produced in the Frankfurt area. This makes the Konstablerwache market the largest farmers' market in Hesse and it is now impossible to imagine the heart of Frankfurt without it: it has long since become a popular meeting place for locals, commuters, tourists, pensioners, bankers, hipsters and pint lovers. "Erlebnis Hessen" visited the market, talked to producers and met some of them on their farms.
ARD-alpha, 2.00 p.m.
In the museum, a gravestone tells of the daily life of a wine merchant who died when Augsburg was still a Roman garrison.
GEO Television, 6.00 a.m.
In Soviet times, Georgia was considered the wine cellar of the USSR. Even after the collapse of the giant empire, wine remained one of the country's most important exports. It is only since Russia imposed an embargo that exports have collapsed dramatically and Georgia is looking for new sales markets. For wine-growing in the Caucasus is still going strong.
arte, 8.00 a.m.
The region is a veritable land of milk and honey, where the trees bend with fruit and the vines under the weight of grapes.
SWR Television, 6.15 p.m.
When the November storm sweeps through the Neckar valley, the best place to be is warm. You can make yourself comfortable in rustic wine taverns where people still talk Swabian. This is the case at Weinhaus Stanis in Rottenburg, where Klaus Biesinger pours his own wine. He is Rottenburg's only full-time winegrower.
Bavarian Television, 7.30 p.m.
The "Närrische Weinprobe" (Foolish Wine Tasting) from the State Court Cellar of the Residenz in Würzburg offers genuine Franconian originals. This wine tasting of a special kind is presented by Martin Rassau and Nicole Then, supported by Franconian cabaret artists. Year after year, Franconia's fools go to the cellar for a laugh, to be precise: to the Staatlicher Hofkeller zu Würzburg under the Residenz. Here, between centuries-old wooden barrels, there is celebration, laughter and, of course, tasting of good wine - something you can only do at the "Närrische Weinprobe". The host is Martin Rassau from the Comödie Fürth; he is flanked by the former wine queen Nicole Then together with the candidates for the office of queen in 2018.
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SWR Television, 7.00 a.m.
While wine and tobacco thrive in the fertile foothills of the Palatinate, the soil in the Palatinate Forest is poor and yields little. Thus, the undemanding potato once became the ideal staple food - until potato blight led to great famines in the 19th century. The forest has always been an important source of food: people gathered mushrooms, berries and chestnuts. Pigs foraged in the oak and beech forests. Leaves and moss served as litter in the stables.
SWR Television, 11.45 a.m.
Hermine is discharged from hospital and Gottfried Schnell lovingly pampers and cares for her. In the meantime, Fabian endangers the success of the Stickler inn with his cooking experiments. When a gourmet critic publishes a devastating review, he finally takes Thomas' advice to offer traditional dishes again.
hr-fernsehen, 12.15 p.m.
When Arthur quickly fetches a bottle of wine for dinner from the neighbouring wine farmer Vinzenz Grabner, he witnesses a tragic accident: the young farmer is crushed by an overturned tractor. All help comes too late. Now his wife Anna is left alone with the farm and their small children. But there is no end to the misfortune: shortly after the tragic event, glycol is found in Grabner's wine by the inspection commission. Anna cannot explain how this toxic additive could have got into the wine. She has long forgotten that a neighbouring winegrower made Anna an offer to buy the vineyards shortly after her husband's death.
MDR Television, 6.00 p.m.
It was literally an idea - but Karl-Heinz Reichel made it famous all over Suhl. He is the inventor of the high-proof Suhl gun oil. A stroke of luck, because the liqueur suddenly made his business the talk of the town. That was 14 years ago. A year earlier, he and his wife opened the Suhl wine cellar. In the middle of the city, they made their dream come true in an old cellar vault. Since then, Reichel has been constantly on the lookout for new ideas and creations.
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Bavarian Television, 1.45 p.m.
The Tyrolean winegrower Eva Perner falls in love with the charming pop producer Peter Weigand.
hr-fernsehen, 7.00 p.m.
Although far from any Hessian wine-growing region, Alsfeld has a historic wine cellar - Elfriede Schmidt knows why.
hr-fernsehen, 11.35 a.m.
"Ladies Night" is the name of a gala dinner at the Rheingau Gourmet and Wine Festival. Margot Janse from South Africa cooks and Romana Echensberger explains the matching wines. She is a Master of Wine, the absolute wine experts, an exclusive circle of 340 graduates. You can learn from her how to taste and understand wine properly. And she loves to cook - she came up with something special for the programme: Israeli starters with wine. For her, this is the epitome of joie de vivre: a big table with happy people, lots of plates and filled glasses.
Bavarian Television, 11.55 a.m.
In Slovenia, landscapes that could not be more different are found in a very small area: the high mountain peaks of the Julian Alps with gorges and river valleys, fascinating caves and karst areas, cheerful wine villages and picturesque coastal towns.
3sat, 2.05 p.m.
The north of Portugal and the Costa Verde are considered the "Garden of Portugal" with romantic mountain landscapes, lush meadows and, again and again, vineyards. The grapes for Portugal's most famous wine grow in the river valleys of the Douro.
arte, 13.00
South of Genoa in north-eastern Italy, the Cinque Terre - the "five villages" - tower high above the Mediterranean on a stretch of coast just 20 kilometres long. As if defying gravity, they stretch up the steep rocky slopes to an altitude of 800 metres. Nevertheless, wine has been grown here for over a thousand years. Through the sale of the noble drops, the small communities gained wealth, which they invested in the construction of palaces, houses and churches.
3sat, 2.50 p.m.
Bullas, one of Spain's smallest wine-growing regions, is situated on a plateau. The special grape Monastrell grows here. It is used to make heavy wines.
rbb Television, 3.15 p.m.
In this episode, the countrywomen's journey takes them to Christine Bernhard's vineyard in the Palatinate. The eco-winemaker is at home in Zellertal and has dedicated herself entirely to her wines and the renovation of the over 250-year-old family estate.
SWR Television, 11.15 p.m.
The "Kings of Kallstadt" tell the story of leaving and coming back, of village love and delusions of grandeur. And it always revolves around the question "Can it be a coincidence that the ancestors of US President Donald Trump and the Heinz tomato ketchup dynasty come from the same Palatinate village?" More precisely: from Kallstadt, a village with 1,200 souls. The author Simone Wendel also comes from there. She has set out on a cinematic search for clues. And of course - fortified by Palatinate wine and Saumagen - it begins with all kinds of special features of her home village. In a nutshell, they are: "We prefer to do everything together and help each other where we can." The author can proudly say that her Palatinate compatriots have a "135 percent love of clubs". To be hands-on, to have big plans and to hit the ground running - this is how the people from Kallstadt interpret the characteristics of their successful relatives in the USA from afar. Those with such genes also manage to get an interview with Donald Trump on the 26th floor of Trump Tower in New York! Armed with cake and wine, as one does when visiting family, Simone Wendel opens the doors and the heart of her infamous interview partner. The real estate giant is really moved by the picture of the Kallstadt cottage from which his grandfather emigrated. The big surprise and the biggest adventure of the film: the trip of the Kallstadters to the Steuben Parade in New York. For Palatine winegrowers, this takes place at the worst possible time: In the middle of the grape harvest. With their characteristic talent for improvisation, they master the German defilee across Fifth Avenue. With a wine princess, a pig's stomach filled with balloons and the wine god Bacchus, who - although forbidden - serves real wine. And walking in front is John Trump, a cousin of Donald, one who has never denied his Palatinate roots, never lost them. Now that's a family reunion!
arte, 13.00
Anjou is a lovely region where the white tuff of the houses, the black slate shingles of the castles and the green of the vineyards are reflected in the waters of the Loire.
SWR Television, 11.45 a.m.
The petition of the citizens' initiative is ignored by the local council and the extensive financing of the reconstruction of Bergham Castle is decided. Mayor Plattner now tries by all means to push his projects further. He even threatens the Grubmüller family with expulsion from the winegrowers' cooperative if they do not sell their land in favour of the golf course.
arte, 10.30 a.m.
Geopolitical magazine by Jean-Christophe Victor, which attempts to use maps to present complex historical, geopolitical or economic issues in a generally understandable way.
arte, 16.00
The area around the small town of Arbois in the Département Jura is known for its winegrowing. Here, Evelyne and Pascal press a 100 percent natural wine from organically grown grapes. The programme is also available online from 22/01 to 29/01 on the ARTE internet portal.
arte, 4.55 p.m.
For thousands of years, barrels have proved ideal for storing and transporting liquids - mainly alcoholic beverages such as wine or whisky. In addition, wooden barrels impart valuable aromas to the high-proof goods. These are determined by the type and processing of the wood. But where does the special taste come from? And how are the cylindrical wooden vessels made? More than 2,000 years ago, the Celts changed the history of wine with the invention of the barrel. But by the beginning of the 1970s, barrel-making had practically come to an end. Back then, vintners used steel tanks, plastic and other things. Only since American winemakers began buying French barrels in the early 1980s in order to import some of the typical French wood flavour, did the number of people interested in the classics increase rapidly again. Today, only small barrels are made. The wine matures faster in them than in large barrels. This is because the contact area between the wine and the wood of the barrel is larger in proportion to the quantity of wine. How a barrel is made from French oak boards and how much it influences the quality of the wine - that's what presenters Emilie Langlade and Adrian Pflug find out in a cooperage near Bordeaux, a region of winegrowing and wooden barrels.
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hr-fernsehen, 6.50 p.m.
September is the month of the grape harvest and perfect for tasting the delicious local drops. For example, during a ride on the "Wine Express", a wooden train on wheels that takes visitors to a tasting in the middle of the vineyard. If you want to combine the turn of the year with a city tour, Mallorca's capital Palma is the place to be: then the old town is decked out in festive lights, and on New Year's Eve people celebrate together in the town hall square. Initiates stock up on grapes in Palma's market hall beforehand, because anyone who eats a berry for each of the twelve chimes will be blessed with good fortune in the new year.
WDR Television, 9.00 p.m.
Beer was probably invented before bread. And there were reasons for that! Alcohol relaxes and disinhibits, it's fun - but it kills quite a few people. How much is too much? The daily glass of red wine - healthy or unhealthy? Where is the border between "having a drink" and addiction? Quarks conducts an unusual alcohol experiment: under professional supervision, men, women, fat people, thin people drink - people who feel they can tolerate a lot and people who feel they can tolerate little. One thing is clear: men can take more than women. And experienced drinkers more than teetotalers...
Bavarian Television, 11.10 a.m.
Ever since French missionaries worked in the region along the Tibetan Lancang Jiang in the 19th century, wine has also grown along the river. The oldest vines are in Cizhong, a small Tibetan Christian village where the church has survived the turmoil of history almost unscathed.
arte, 13.00
The department of Aude offers endless beaches of fine sand as far as the eye can see and some of the oldest vines in France. Narbonne and its surroundings are full of gentle joie de vivre.
rbb Television, 3.15 p.m.
Ursula Baßler is a master distiller. Ursula Baßler lives on a typical Black Forest farm in the Achertal valley in the northern Black Forest: fruit trees grow around the house, including the civet, which is prized for a fine brandy; down the slope, the family cultivates blueberries; across the road are vineyards, there is a sheep farm and the farm's own distillery is located in one of the farm buildings. Many years ago, 51-year-old Ursula was one of the first in Baden-Württemberg to train as a master distiller, then went on to train as a fine brandy sommelier and later earned an international wine and spirits certificate. The mother of three children is fascinated by the delicate aromas of the high-proof noble brandies. Every fruit season is a new challenge to bring out the flavour nuances of her distillates through knowledge and experience. In addition to the noble brandies, the straight-laced Black Forest woman also produces liqueurs, refining her own grapes into Black Forest brandy. Husband Josef is responsible for the sheep. Son Mathias looks after the vineyards and the farm. Ursula can't let anything get her down, but at tastings on the farm she shows her temperament: she mixes cocktails! And she does it professionally - no wonder, she also has a bartending diploma in her pocket. It goes without saying that the welcome drink for the countrywomen comes from the shaker. The basis is a homemade bloodroot schnapps. As the main course for the "Lecker aufs Land" dinner on her farm, she will serve a sauerbraten of her own lamb.
NDR Television, 8.00 a.m.
The Costa Dorada has a picturesque hinterland that is hardly known in this country. The wine region El Priorat is located in the steep hills of the Serra de Montsant and is definitely worth a visit.
SWR Television, 11.45 a.m.
TV series, Germany/Austria 2006/2007 Thomas can't find a bank willing to give him interim financing for his financial shortfall. Nevertheless, he insists on not selling the Stickler inn, the proceeds of which Hermine wants to use to help her daughter Andrea with her pharmacy and Thomas with his debts. Georg Plattner comes under massive pressure from the local council for going it alone on the Bergham Castle issue.
3sat, 3 .00 p.m.
On the border to Albania, Lojze Wieser and Martin Traxl travel through the largest inland body of water in the Balkans, Lake Scutari, on whose shores the autochthonous Crmnicko wine thrives. And between Bar and Ulcinj, the two walk through olive groves with 1000- to 2000-year-old stands.
arte, 21.55
Wherever the Romans found favourable sites along the Rhine, they built Roman-style cities with public baths, forums, temples and arenas. Rome ruled the Rhine for 500 years. The Germanic peoples also benefited from Roman civilisation - even if sometimes friends of Rome became enemies. This common history still shapes Germany and France today. It was the Romans who brought vines to the Moselle. And rocket and many other vegetables and herbs.
3sat, 6.30 p.m.
There is no getting around wine in South Africa. Some of the wine estates also have beautiful, lushly flowering gardens. Ploberger pays a visit to the "Vergelegen" and "Rustenberg" wine estates.
WDR Television, 8.15 p.m.
Bavarian Television, 3.30 p.m.
The Struwwelpeter, a royal cleaning lady and a crazy professor in one programme - where can you find that? In the "Närrische Weinprobe"! Together with Bernd Händel, president of the cult programme "Fastnacht in Franken", the film team looks back at the "Närrische Weinprobe" 2017, showing excerpts from the performances of Klaus Karl-Kraus, Günter Stock, Gerlinde Heßler and Ines Procter, the "royal cleaning lady", among others. As usual, "Die Hains" take a musical jab at politics. And of course, there is one person who should not be missing: Michl Müller, the "Dreggsagg" from the Rhön.
rbb Television, 3.15 p.m.
Who can say of their vineyards that they are the highest in Germany? The winegrowing couple Beate and Georg Vollmayer have their grandfather to thank for this special feature, who revived winegrowing on the Hohentwiel near Singen in the 1920s. Wine cultivation on the highest mountain in the Hegau region dates back to the ninth century. Monks began cultivating vines and pressing wine at that time. About a hundred years ago, phylloxera destroyed all the stocks and viticulture on Hohentwiel was discontinued. Today, the volcanic mountain near Lake Constance is once again planted with vines. Beate, a 50-year-old winegrower and trained tax specialist, looks after the house and the vineyard, manages the sales and is responsible for the sparkling of the noble wines. The mother of three tends flowers, herbs and vegetables in her garden kingdom and is happy that all three daughters want to follow in their parents' footsteps one day. Beate loves to laugh and has an infectious sense of humour. As hostess of the sixth round, she is hosting the finale of this "Lecker aufs Land" season. A fish carpaccio is to open the menu. But will Beate's fishmonger be able to deliver the arctic char she's hoping for in time for the evening's countrywomen's dinner?
hr-fernsehen, 6.50 p.m.
The wines from the Marlborough District are no longer an insider tip. Wine lovers all over the world appreciate the fine wines from the northern tip of New Zealand's South Island.
SWR Television, 1.30 p.m.
Many people along the Wine Route make their living from winegrowing. One of them is Gerhard Hoffmann, one of the first organic winegrowers in Rhineland-Palatinate. Although he is an active member of the CDU and an avowed Catholic, he was attacked as a "green bomber" in the early years. Even many of the legal regulations on organic farming are not strict enough for him today. He would rather forego crop yields for reasons of conscience than make the smallest compromises when it comes to organic farming. Chie Sakata came to Germany from Japan at the age of 18 and had no contact with wine in her home country. Ten years later, she is cellar master and boss of twenty-five employees in a renowned old family winery.
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