Our Bailliage’s first Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs (OMGD) event was a virtual wine and cheese tasting. A little gourmet trip through France.

Admittedly, Berlin and Brandenburg are not exactly famous for wine growing. However, Vranken-Pommery Deutschland & Österreich GmbH has Officier Maître Sommelier Thomas Wirz as one of the two Managing Directors.

We felt it was acceptable to hold a virtual wine tasting with fine wines from this world-famous wine and champagne house. It was combined with a food pairing of fine cheeses from the gourmet department of the not entirely unknown KaDeWe, for which Hagen Hoppenstedt, Vice-Échanson Honoraire with the Bailliage of Hamburg but who has been based in Berlin for years, works as Head of Beverages.

Shortly after 6pm, with words of welcome from Bailli Franz Hauk, the tasting began. About 70 participants were sitting in front of a laptop, tablet PC or a TV connected via WiFi. Everyone then enjoyed the French wines and cheeses that had been delivered in time.

KaDeWe’s Martina Loeser took part in the presentation on several occasions by explaining with charm and expertise the four cheeses which came from the Burgundy, Burgundy/Franche-Comté and Provence regions as well as specifically from the commune of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon.

Tiphaine de Rességuier and Bruno Mailliard, the wine experts from Vranken-Pommery and Barton & Guestier, explained the wines in English and answered all our questions. Together with the support of Thomas Wirz who interjected with additional information. The beautiful pictures contributed significantly to the course of the presentations.

Coordinating the technical management and moderation between the locations and participants was very professionally done by Ina Pförtner who acted with an overview.

After almost two hours a very successful event, albeit of the otherwise unusual kind, came to an end. We can still look forward to the first “analogue dinner” when the lockdown is over and in person communication comes along with the culinary delights.

A big thank you to everyone who worked so successfully on this event.

Joachim Kretschmar
Vice-Chargé de Presse

Photos: courtesy of Joachim Kretschmar; Vranken-Pommery; Sybille Gorschboth