Kühne Lage – Winebar and „Soul Food“ Restaurant
Finally on le goût du vin. My favourite wine merchant (who already deserves so much credit on this blog), and the place where you can find me at least once a week.
The Kühne Lage is a small and fine wine bar in Hamburg Altona/Bahrenfeld. Right from the start I was enthusiastic about the selection of French wines and the friendly and unobtrusive advice of the two owners, Antje and Dietmar. They specialise in France and Germany, with a small selection (which is good for my wife) of Italian, Portuguese and Spanish wines. The two share a spirit of discovery. For example, in Languedoc, they tracked down the then nowhere signposted farm of Monsieur Chabbert of Domaine Aires Hautes, whose wines they still offer today. As with him, they have personal contact with all their winegrowers.
A delicious range of small dishes rounds off the selection of wines. First and foremost the delicious tarte flambée, or the homemade pesto's Verde and Rosso. Of course, there are also the classic olives, capers and cheese - "comme en France". The wines on sale start at 5.90 euros (Casa Rosso Romagnoli) up to 60 euros for some mature Pinot Noirs, for example from Huber or Stodden, to the sophisticated Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Most wines, however, remain between 7 and 10 euros and can, of course, be tasted right away in the bistro for a corkage fee, should you actually not have discovered anything on the open wine list.
At regular intervals, there are wine seminars or music events organised by the 40 chairs. Twice a year, book and wine lovers meet at "Bücher und Wein" in cooperation with the Osterstrasse bookshop.
Okay. To start with, - tonight we're having asparagus, and I need a delicious wine. What should we have?
D: The classic Silvaner is best. For example, the estate wine from the Rainer Sauer winery.
The alternative?
D: For me, although they say that wines with less acidity are better with asparagus, a mature Riesling. For example, the Kabinett from the Johann Geil winery.
How long has the Kühne Lage been around?
A: The Kühne Lage has been around for 11 years now, and in the beginning it was really still a "bold location", i.e. a lot of work for no money. At that time, the population structure was completely different - some people walked past our shop with blinkers on, because there was never anything in the area and everything went up to Ottensen. It was only after eight years that someone from the neighbourhood asked us: "Say, you're new here too, aren't you?"
What do you drink from Monday to Friday?
A: We always try our wines, of course, and then also our favourite grape variety, Riesling, or the Silvaner from Sauer, which we like to open up as a food accompaniment.
What are your favourite grape varieties?
D: Actually white: Riesling and red: Pinot Noir. A: Mine are also white: Riesling, Silvaner, -and red: Gamay. A very underrated grape variety (Beaujolais), and I could sit in it.
And at the weekend?
D: At the moment, with asparagus, we go for Rainer Sauer's "Freiraum", a single-vineyard Silvaner.
What is your favourite book at the moment, and what wine do you drink with it?
D: Oh God, I'll have to ask Antje... I still read a lot of trade magazines, of course.
A: You're reading Deon Meyer, the South African crime writer.
D: Then a South African Pinot Noir, bought somewhere else. (Laughs.)
A: And I would drink a strong Southern French wine, for example the "Orfèvrerie" from the Domaine Bort in the Languedoc.
(You'll have to ask Antje about which book).
So let's go to Kühne Lage, for a wonderful attitude to life and charming, good-humoured owners.
Kühne Lage Schützenstr. 39, 22761 Hamburg
E-Mail: info at kuehne-lage.de Tel: 040 - 32 51 24 04
Opening hours:
Monday - Friday: 11 - 23 Uhr
Saturday: 11 - 18 Uhr
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