Sing the cooper’s song with us!

Dear friends of good wine,

Anyone who goes to a creative school learns to dance their name. This is well known. We Palatinate people, on the other hand, dance our craft... and that's no joke! This dance is called Küferschlag.

Every fall, excitement grows among the (kindergarten) children and teenagers of our little village, as the dance is traditionally performed by the village's youngest members on stage in front of everyone, accompanied by accordion, violin, guitar, and whatever other musical talent they can find. It's a momentous occasion, because the "Kauferschlag" (cooper's blow) officially opens the wine festival in the Palatinate villages !

Photo: Organizer Wolfgang Narjes (left) and senior boss Otmar with the wine princesses at the wine festival in Kreuztal.

But what exactly is a cooper? A cooper is a wine barrel maker . In other parts of Germany, this profession is also known as a cooper, cooper, cooper, or barrel maker.

In the Küferschlag (cooper's song), the cooper's craft is portrayed with song and a formalized dance. The cooper's song consists of several verses and is so ingrained in our Palatinate brains that it can be recited by heart even decades later, even when awakened from a deep sleep. Feel free to give it a try (but please don't say it was our idea).

For all the unfortunate people who were unfortunately not born in the beautiful Palatinate, here is a brief explanation:

In the center of the stage stands a large barrel, on which stands the very young cooper. His assistants, the coopers' journeymen, stand around the barrel. The singing begins, and if you're lucky, everyone starts at the same moment and in the same key with this first verse:

“ One does roam,

one adds,

Fire and water must bend it,

isn't it a kuver pride,

Make a barrel out of oak! … “

The "coopers" walk slowly around the barrel at a moderate pace, periodically tapping a hammer against the metal rings that hold the barrel together. Meanwhile, the "master cooper" stands atop the barrel and critically inspects everything. This was, of course, always the most coveted position, and whoever held it was sure to be the envy of all the other children in the village. After each verse, he yells at the top of his lungs: " Who makes a barrel out of oak? "

Everyone answers: “ The coopers! ”

The cooper shouts: “ Where are they? ”

Everyone answers: “ Here! ”

Then they sing in the beautiful old folk song style: " Trallala, trallala! The coopers are merry here... "

You see, this is top-notch music... and we love it. The cooper's barrel is built for four long verses, and at the end, the young cooper is handed a glass of grape juice (not wine, of course, at least not these days), which he downs in one gulp. The employees go away empty-handed; life is so unfair sometimes.

You probably have to be born into it to find it great. The rest of the world, however, wonders if they've accidentally fallen into a time-travel hole. But for us, the cooper's blow is part of our impressive wine culture and thus part of the immeasurable treasure of centuries-old customs, festivals, and traditions.

Photo: Children coopering at the wine festival opening in Weyher in the Palatinate, taken by Richard Zinken .

Three years after COVID, the wine festivals are as popular as ever. Many clubs are planning them on a voluntary basis, working closely with the business community. The program includes culinary delights, music, culture, and, of course, plenty of wine—it couldn't be better! (You see, we're already turning into poets ourselves with sheer excitement.)

Information about the wine festival in Kreuztal.

Information about the wine festival in Weyher.

We’re also having a big celebration at our winery.

This is the program:

Friday, 12.09.25 from 7 p.m.:

Voices, Steel and Wood – these are the four components of SLICE ’s live acoustic shows.

Anyone expecting a sophisticated unplugged sound with a light, easy-listening flair will be disappointed: Seats are a waste of space. Stay standing, because the only ones sitting are the band... and they're sweating. For you, with you, and because of you.

Saturday, 13.09.25 from 2 p.m.:

Homemade jazz live with Excel & Friends.

For the third time, the jazz band will be providing the accompaniment for our Saturday lunch in the winery's garden. Sit back, relax, enjoy excellent music combined with a delicious glass of wine, and simply unwind.

From 7 p.m.:

Acoustic guitar beats with Sascha.unplugged & Michael Jochum . This well-rehearsed guitar duo will enchant you with their musical talent, Palatinate charm, and catchy songs to sing and dance along to.

Sunday, 14.09.25 from 2 p.m.:

Swing & Jazz live with vocals by Bath House Band.

Already in their 10th year at our winery and at the Weyher Wine Festival, they're hard to imagine without us. Stefan (saxophone) and Andy (drums) are both "Weyher boys" and closely connected to our winery not only through friendship but also through music. Together with three other musicians, they and their Bath House Band will accompany us with their wonderful music at the Sunday brunch.

Monday, 15.09.25 from 4 p.m.:

Traditionally, we open our autumn season at the winery with Wine Festival Monday.

This evening we will be celebrating the end of the Weyher Wine Festival by changing our opening hours from four to six days a week:

Monday, Wednesday to Friday: 4 pm - 9 pm

Saturday & Sunday: 12 - 21 o'clock

Tuesday: closed.

Whether in our romantic winery garden with panoramic views or the rustic straw room, whether a cool wine spritzer or fine terroir wine, whether tarte flambée or Asian-Canadian-Palatinate delicacies from Kristine's Lamesa Catering: This is the place for connoisseurs.

Freshly grilled spit roast (Saturday & Sunday from 12 pm) and delicious vegetarian dishes, snacks & salads.

See you in Kreuztal or Weyher?

Your cooper-singing counts

PS Do you remember the Gärrer, our Easter tradition?

We have explained them here.

It's truly wonderful to grow up in the Palatinate. Perhaps someday we'll do a quiz for you with expert questions about life in the Palatinate. If you've been reading our newsletters attentively for a while, this will be a breeze for you. ;-)