The festival is a perfect opportunity to experience the warm hospitality of the Moselle in a programme that blends long-standing traditions with an unbeatable party atmosphere, all set in the narrow medieval alleyways of the charming village of Ehnen.
Activities start at 5pm on Saturday, 20 July, with the opening of the “Ceramic meets fire” art exhibition, featuring works by Nicole Fischer and Agnès Cum-Kirsch, in the fascinating Wine Museum.
It is recommend to 'come and enjoy a glass of refreshing Ehnen wine while you tour this thought-provoking exhibit'. Then, hit the barbecue, and dance it all off with a live band in the village square Saturday night.
The “main event” kicks off at 10am on Sunday with a mass in the village’s unique round church.
Yes - the wine festival starts with the priest’s blessing of the wine (and perhaps a few prayers for the long day and night to come)!
Then there’s the traditional parade, led by the excellent Wormeldange band, through the village and down to the Moselle. Amid village pomp and ceremony, the mayor then taps the barrel of blessed wine, a combination of Rieslings from all the village’s wine growers, and a first patt is enjoyed by all. Even the kids join in with their own barrel of delicious, cold grape juice!
Then the party really starts, with a huge variety of food, music, displays and children’s activities.
What’s very special about the festival is that it brings together a range of community clubs and groups, each with stands throughout the village. In the afternoon, there’s an official cortège, led by the Riesling Queen and Princesses, politicians and VIPs, greeting visitors as it winds through the Festival.
Village bands from across the region are on hand all day, ensuring spirits (and a few knees) are up! Whether it’s delicious portuguese grilled chicken with piri piri, a Flammes, a traditional sausage or a decadent waffle with cream, there’s a bite to eat for everyone.
And then there’s the delicious wine… nothing beats a cold glass (or two) of wine or Crémant de Luxembourg with its refreshing fruitiness and mineral notes unique to the Luxembourg Moselle, or a cherry-red pinot noir with hints of oak paired with that grilled chicken.
The Festival is a centrepiece for Ehnen’s vinters. Martine Kohll, president of the organising committee, municipal counsellor, and “mom” in the family-run Keyser-Kohll winery and restaurant, told RTL Today, “for us winegrowers, the Wënzerdag is a unique opportunity to renew our friendship with winelovers, especially newcomers within the greater Luxembourg region and further afield, and all in a lively and family-friendly ambiance."
And why not enjoy all this for a bit longer? Kohll agrees, "Plenty of people make a weekend of it, staying overnight in one of the Moselle’s hotels or B&Bs. The Festival adds new activities every year, particularly on the cultural and culinary fronts. We’re currently working on some very exciting changes in the 2020 Festival, while maintaining the traditional elements that make the Wënzerdag so special, all within the further development of wine tourism on the Moselle.”
More details cane be found on the Éinen Wënzerdag are available on www.wenzerdag.lu.
Ehnen, Luxembourg. Saturday, 20 July starting at 5pm, main activity from 10am till late Sunday, 21 July.
Admission free!
Families with children very welcome. Public transport encouraged: www.mobiliteit.lu
