Imagine this: It is a beautiful sunny morning in Mainz, Rheinhessen. The “golden city” is teaming with life on its many squares and streets. You have just finished exploring the gorgeous city centre with its rich medieval buildings and the mighty cathedral. Now you are hungry and eager to explore the very best of the local cuisine – with an emphasis on local. Since you are in a Great Wine Capital, wine must be part of the deal as well. So today, we take a look at Hundertguldenmühle, a stellar restaurant near Mainz with locally sourced cuisine.
Taste the terroir of Rheinhessen
The restaurant is a well-known secret when it comes to high quality and locally sourced cuisine in Rheinhessen. Its name has a medieval ring to it and means “The mill of one hundred coins”. The former mill near Mainz has been converted into a stellar restaurant, which is run by Eva Eppard and her crew. The restaurant is housed in a lovely stone-walled building with cute little windows and a steep roof and surrounded by fields, forests and the ubiquitous Rheinhessen vineyards. This convenient location reflects itself in the restaurant’s menu. The menu captures the very best from garden, field and local rivers and forests and reflects the “terroir” of the region. In this case, local may be closer than you think. At Hundertguldenmühle, guests enjoy home-grown vegetables from the restaurant’s own garden, including potatoes, celeriac and horseradish, garnished with freshly picked herbs. Mrs. Eppard also works closely with local farmers from Appenheim, who provide additional vegetables and fruit “from field to table”.
The very best from forest and rivers
Rheinhessen is known for its beauty and its precious natural environment. Apart from creating a picturesque landscape, it also contributes to the local cuisine. Eva Eppard collaborates with local fishermen and hunters, who provide the restaurant with fresh fish and game, like for instance the famous trout from the Wisper valley just north of Mainz. The fish are raised in the clean waters of the Wisper River and are well known for their pure and authentic taste. The dark forests of Rheinhessen on the other hand are home to many game animals, including the delicious roe deer. Hundertguldenmühle sources its roe deer from the Soonwald area, which is just around the corner. The theme carries on to the wines as well: 90 percent of the restaurant’s wines are locally produced, while the rest comes from neighbouring provinces.
Think global, eat local
In an increasingly globalised world, it is comforting to know where your food comes from. Eating locally grown food not only benefits your health, but also the planet. It reduces the need for transportation and keeps emissions low, while providing excellent and fresh ingredients to the table. Hundertguldenmühle has understood the benefits of this approach very well. It hardly comes as a surprise that Hundertguldenmühle has won the Great Wine Capitals Sustainable Wine Tourism Award in 2017.
All fotographs provided by Hundertguldenmühle & Niclas Bieser.
Learn more about Mainz | Rheinhessen Great Wine Capital
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