Nothing has moved us as much in recent weeks as the planned death of the wine princess. But how did it come about?
The marketing association of Palatinate winegrowers (Pfalzweinwerbung eV) developed the office of wine princess as a marketing measure less than 100 years ago. The original motivation is unclear. Should women become more visible in a male-dominated industry? Or is it simply the case that people prefer to drink wine when it is handed to them by an attractive woman wearing a crown? We don't know. In any case, it was a successful marketing measure, and the traditions surrounding the wine princesses are dear to the hearts of more than just the people of the Palatinate.
Today, the office of wine princess is anything but a pretty face. Often they are winemakers themselves, with both feet firmly on the ground, extremely eloquent in languages, and sometimes internationally present. To win the title, they have to take a tough professional exam. And last but not least, the whole concept is a million-dollar business (of which the princesses themselves receive only the smallest part).
But this year, a brave man applied for the position of Palatinate Princess! The advertising association was shaken to its foundations and asked itself how viable this antiquated model is today. So they retreated into their own little room and proudly presented the new version: From now on, there would be no more wine princesses. Instead, they would all be called wine ambassadors ( m/f/d ). Period. The magic is over. And we don't need fairy dust anymore either, not to mention crowns.
But the bill was made without the innkeeper:
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First of all, you don't just kill princesses without consulting them, that breaks with all the traditions we've grown fond of. The people of the Palatinate expressed their displeasure with an outcry that reverberated across the country. You could almost call it a revolution - only this time the people stuck with the nobility.
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Secondly, the Palatinate Wine Advertising Agency came up with the Reformation on its own and did not coordinate with the other 12 wine-growing regions, which also have a say in some way, because the German Wine Queen is then chosen from all 12 princesses under the aegis of the German Wine Institute (which is a full-time job, by the way).
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And then there were the certified culture and wine ambassadors, who obtained this qualification after a seminar lasting about a year and who did not find it amusing at all that they were now to be thrown into the same pot as the deposed royals.
In short, the whole thing was not well thought out and ended in disaster. Unless you assume that headlines at any cost are a smart move. In that case, it was a complete success.
The new compromise, which was developed as quickly as possible, is now called "wine royalty". The ladies still wear a crown, but the men only wear a pin. One wonders what gets a d . We think we should take Prince Charles or the carnival princes as an example. They also wear their crowns with pride. Because a little magic is a must!
Last week, by the way, was the election of this year's German Wine Queen (this time everything is still according to old tradition with the genuine wine queens of the respective wine-growing regions of 2023). As a Palatinate winery, we are incredibly proud that Charlotte Weihl from the Palatinate will be presenting German winemaking to the world next year.
On Friday, the elections for the Palatinate Wine Queen 2024 took place. Denise Stripf was able to prevail in front of the 60-member jury against both a female and an unusual male rival. This means that she will take over the office of the Palatinate Wine Queen for one year.
With two women from the Palatinate at the top of the nobility, it should be a good year. Cheers! Cheers to the Palatinate!
Your not quite noble counts
Danke für den interessanten Newsletter.
Grandioser Text !
Grüße vom Halbadel (von München/Puchheim)
Danke liebe Grafen,
dass ihr diesen Brief teilt und dazu steht .
Feenzauber in der jetzigen Welt und Tradition ist was tolles und tut gut.
Ich hätte zu Tradition zusätzlich mir eine oder ein Weinbotschafter zusätzlich gut vorstellen können und wäre zeitgemäß.
Liebe Grüße […]
Liebe nicht ganz adligen Grafen,
ich darf es mal wieder sagen: kaum etwas erfreut mich mehr, wie Euer Newsletter. Sensationell geschrieben und von hohem Unterhaltungswert. So genial, dass ich sie in einen eigenen Ordner schiebe und aufbewahre.
Chapeau!!! Und vielen Dank.
Herzliche Grüße und einen schönen Sonntag
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