Viennese Pastoral Symphony

Source: People's Daily Overseas Edition

Vienna is not only Mozart and the Round Dance, but also has a unique food and wine culture. Scattered on the edge of the city and nestled at the foot of the Alps, the Horig Wineries are not only rich in traditional food and wine, but also their natural environment is also interpreted in a variety of styles. People's love for the winery is no less than the Musikverein, the Children's Singing Company and the Spanish Royal Equestrian Performances.

The Horig Winery in the area of The Village of Pochy is only a dozen minutes' drive from the western outskirts of Vienna, where my home is located. Drive the car to the entrance of the village, and then follow the winding masonry path into the wide streets and narrow alleys in the shade, but in front of the courtyards, flowers and plants, pine branches hanging high. There are pine branches, indicating that the winery is open and that there are new wines in stock. For newcomers, choosing a place of genuine interest in the alleys of the wineries is not an easy task. My husband and I once shot a gun to change places, visited and tasted one by one, and after more than ten years, we became acquainted like old friends.

At the turn of spring and summer, whether it is noon or evening, through the long corridor lined with wine barrels under the arch, straight into the flower-studded back garden, looking at the vivid sika deer and antelope horn in the glass window, ordering a pot of newly brewed wine, waiting for the girl in the traditional Austrian dress to bring the wine, and the mind has already planned to eat. The advantage of the winery is that all the dishes can be seen and touched, and some of the meaning of buffet. Inside the transparent glass frame, crispy grilled meat, porcupine pie, onion sausage, mashed potato balls, as well as a variety of cheeses and smoked sausages, as for desserts, austrians are the best of the trade. If none of this is your idea, follow the menu of the day on the small chalkboard for a deep-fried steak, or a raw fried apricot abalone mushroom or something. The winery's puff pastry grill is my favorite, and it's wonderful to keep a plate on the plate and stare at the hostess with a chainsaw and cut it with a "snort" and then pour a spoonful of red gravy on the head.

This dish, which is originally a traditional Austrian dish, coincides with the taste of Chinese. Therefore, whenever Chinese mainland visitors, my husband and I will go with them, stroll into the garden of flowers and trees, drink wine, listen to the crisp sound of the cups and plates of the neighbors and neighbors, after the wine is full, wander behind the vineyard, look at the mountains, smell the flowers and trees, for the people in the city who are trapped in modern high-rise buildings all day long and can't smell the smell of mud, how appropriate and comfortable it is.

The world has always praised the magnificence of the "City of Music", but Vienna is still a green city surrounded by more than 700 hectares of vineyards, with the reputation of "the lungs of the city". For the sake of environmental protection, the vineyards and brewing rooms at the foot of the mountain are tenaciously resistant to various chemicals. In order to avoid the invasion of odors, the grapes are harvested and desimpled by hand, and the bottles in the wine cabinet are extremely hygienic to ensure that the wines here carry the original taste of the grapes to the letter.

The original meaning of "Holrig" refers to a new wine that is still bubbling after fermentation, that is, the new wine of that year. Its history dates back to ancient Roman times. Emperor Probus, who was well aware of the sun, soil and moisture around Vienna, ordered the introduction of vineyards and the development of winemaking in this area, a tradition that continues to this day. The winery sells only home-brewed wines and offers a complementary traditional cuisine, which has become a unique sight around Vienna. When the owner finishes selling the wine, he closes his doors until the new wine is available and then opens again. Anyone who, in order to make a huge profit, secretly drinks from elsewhere and thus open for business permanently, will be ruthlessly expelled from the holiger winery and will be despised and spurned by their peers. From this, the persistent and resolute disposition of Austrian wine farmers can be seen.

Wine is said to be spiritual, and it not only ignites the passion of poets, writers and painters, but also infuses the spirit of art into the feelings of musicians. Beethoven's pastoral symphony was born in the vineyards of the Danube River. In the makino scenery north of Vienna, there is a winery called Meyer, which evolved from Beethoven's 1817 former residence. The vineyards around the winery seem to be pacing and rhythmic with the life of the musician, and the wind passes everywhere, a romantic and rhapsody. Because of their love for Beethoven, many people come to immerse themselves in the imagination of pastoral symphonies in a unique way.

I have never seen a country where people are as keen on life as the Austrians, and so tasteful and emotional. Their credo is that life is not for work, work is for life. Austria, with more than 8 million people, has 50,000 or 60,000 restaurants. Therefore, why is there no shadow of the Austrians in the streets? Because they all ran to the Horigo Winery for a drink.

Whether it is an old man who has retired from work, or a small owner who has left work, about three or five confidants, bring a beloved chihuahua or a butterfly dog, leisurely placed among the flowers and plants, guarding a pot of wine, sitting for most of the day. Even the office workers in Vienna like to plunge into the alleys after work, go to the grapevines to change the air and taste, and clean up the complexity and fatigue in the refreshing wine. Compared with the splendid restaurants in the city, these idyllic wineries, like small jasper, make people feel more comfortable and comfortable.

Fascinated by crispy grilled meats in wineries, I used to find fangzi and toss it in my oven a few times. Pork belly with skin, black pepper sea salt, full of cloves, cinnamon and garlic cloves. However, when I dragged the pieces of meat out hopefully, its color and aroma were vastly different from those of the winery. I finally woke up to the fact that one side of the water and soil to support the other side of the person, this is a unique job exclusive to others, why bother to do it! Just like Beijing roast duck, Donglai Shun shabu lamb, Tianjin dog ignore, who can easily move away?

An epidemic that swept the world caused the Horigo Winery to close for more than half a year, and reopened as the epidemic improved. So in the alleys, the pine branches are hanging high, the doors are like a city, and it is bustling. The Horigo Winery is as good as the wines accumulated over the years, and the fragrance is overflowing. Sit in the back garden of the winery again, pick up the long-lost wine, and sigh with emotion, but also the aftertaste is endless.

September is the season of grape harvest and a grand festival for winegrowers. Men, women and children from outside the city, taking advantage of the excitement, crossed the mountain stream flowing in the clear stream and gathered deep into the fields. Grape racks full of black, purple, green and white fruits are heavy, and the phalanx seems to shine golden under the bright sun. Dressed in festive costumes, the country band played the celebration song of the Holrig Winery, as well as the Beethoven Pastoral Symphony, people sang and danced, the atmosphere was idyllic and bright, from the vineyards to the Roman chapel on the top of the hill, like a Dionysian dance, intertwining between the divine world and the worldly.

It was late, and the cool air was filled with the smell of wine. At some point, fireflies floated out of the forest with their families, stepping on the notes and following the aroma of wine. The squirming speck of light, the candlelight flickering in the night. In a trance, I felt like I was in the lights of a thousand homes.