Fascinating Story(ies)

Have you ever hung on your grandma's or grandpa's every word as they recounted their experiences? This summer, we finally took the time to visit our great-aunt in Switzerland, and that's exactly what happened to us:

Our Aunt Erika is 82 years old today. When she was 18, she suddenly left idyllic Weyher and emigrated to Switzerland all by herself. We always wondered how one could voluntarily (!) leave the beautiful Palatinate. There must have been more behind it than just wanderlust – what could have happened?

Photo: Kristine, Guiseppe, Jürgen and Erika

This time, she told us the background, and we must admit, we were impressed: As a young woman, she fell in love with a man from the neighboring village who did not at all meet her parents' expectations, because he was (hold your breath) ... NOT Catholic. Our great-grandparents judged this according to their upbringing and promptly forbade the relationship.

Erika bowed to her parents' decision (at that time, she had little choice), but she drew her own conclusion: she packed her bags and left the village – and also the young man who was not willing to come along.

In Switzerland, she found a job in a supermarket, where she worked her way up to branch manager over the years. She also fell in love again and married an Italian there (miraculously Catholic). Whether her parents found this alternative better, with their narrowly defined son-in-law standards, we will leave open. Only one thing is important:

She was happy with her Guiseppe.

And as we sat on the old sofa, enjoying some brought-along Weyherer wine and reflecting on the past, Aunt Erika suddenly pulled out a fascinating little book about the history of Weyher. It was compiled by the then Weyher mayor W. Hundemer and teacher G. Bendel and is based on scientifically sound sources.

We were quite amazed to learn so much new about our village in the middle of the Alps:

Weyher was first mentioned in 777 in documents in the Speyer Cathedral. At that time, it was still called Villa quae Wielere Dicitur. The name means country house, manor house, farmstead or farm estate. The reason for the entry: The Elector simply gave the entire village to the church. Thirsty for knowledge, we immediately wondered what sins one must have committed to throw an entire village into the collection plate as compensation? Unfortunately, this was not documented, but we are happy to speculate with you over a glass of wine about possible reasons when you visit us next time!

Even then, Weyher was officially declared a wine village and cattle village. So our wine roots go back to the deepest past! But even more exciting: During a land consolidation in the 70s, some vineyards were to be relocated. During the excavations, the astonished residents of Weyher came across old vessels, tools and stone coffins. Suddenly, everyone realized why the street directly next to it was called Römerstraße (Roman Road).

Aunt Erika still remembers well the reports about the excitement in the village. Indeed, our grandfather wanted to report the find, but the fear of long-term bureaucratic blockades was greater than the archaeological fever. Therefore, the excavation site, which spans several properties, was immediately covered up again and remains hidden today under wonderful Sauvignon and Saint Laurent vines.

However, some enterprising residents of Weyher took some of the artifacts, had them examined, and were quite amazed when the results came back: They date back to around 300 AD. And even better: These troughs were already filled with wine back then!

Apparently, our small village is much older than the official 1,248 years and is one of the oldest Roman settlements in the Palatinate. However, this is officially unknown, as the little book is an insider tip. We, the initiated, know it, and that must be enough!

So let's talk about the official figures: The beginnings of our family winery can be traced back to 1788 in documents, and we suspect that the true beginnings go back much further! We believe this age is something to be proud of. But compared to the history of Weyher, we are a very young startup. In two years, the official 1,250-year celebration will take place ... and the whole village is already thinking about how this can be celebrated appropriately. (Ideas are gladly accepted!)

By the way: Before the First World War, Weyher had 730 inhabitants. Today there are about 560. One of the 170 who left the village forever is our great-aunt Erika. Her story proves that, against all expectations, one can indeed lead a fulfilling and happy life outside of Weyher. (We do believe you ;-)).

But we are delighted about everyone who finds their way to us and enjoys a piece of Weyher's zest for life and our wine culture with us.

Your Grafs, deeply rooted in history