Top Culinary Pleasures: The Wachau Gourmet Festival

The Wachau Gourmet Festival. For the past six years, it has risen to fame as THE annual gourmet event here in my hometown. And I’ve only participated this once: “Why”, I ask, “have I never been here before?” Now, for sure, I will!

Together with my international friends Anna from Germany and Nathalie from Canada (who has been thrilled to the point of saying “I have never eaten this good in my whole life!”), we had many a toast on friendship, culinary pleasures, excellent wines and those top gourmet chefs hailing from all over Europe to make the festival such a spectacular event. Wow! What you get to eat, see and do in one night is this: Check it out.

 

Top International & Austrian Chefs: A World Cooking Show

Just a “piece of cake“? A gourmet festival this spectacular has more to it than meets the eye. Our “piece of cake” actually yields a delightful, savoury taste topped by tasty bacon croutons. Pea soup, very refined, is served to us out of glass bottles (!) using a long pasta straw. At dessert, we enjoy spicy mint and juicy strawberries together with some “real” cake. Nathalie, Anna and I dig into the famous chefs’ creations as soon as the words are spoken: “The buffet is now open” (like the famous saying “Alles Walzer” at the Vienna Opera Ball! Pompous celebration ceremonies & gourmet cuisine has always been an element of Austrian culture – and one I like, I must say 😉 ).

Dieses sagenhafte Törtchen hat es in sich: Würzige Aromen wo sich Süßes vermuten lässt.

This delicious cake unveils many a secret: Tasty, delightfully savoury. A feast for the senses!

 

Schnell ist alles weg: Anna kann es nicht glauben, so sehr geben wir uns den kulinarischen Leckerbissen hin!

It’s all gone in no time: Anna can’t believe we are eating our way through European Chef Stardom!

 

Für die feierliche Eröffnung des sechsten internationalen Wachau Gourmet Festivals haben wir uns fein herausgeputzt: Sogar meine Freundin Nathalie steckt mit uns im traditionellen österreichischen Dirndl - "We're loving it!"

We have clearly “dressed to impress” for the official opening ceremony of the international Wachau Gourmet Festival, and even Nathalie wears her Austrian Dirndl with pride – “We’re loving it!”

 

Zahlreiche Gäste & Prominenz aus Küche & Keller haben sich zum Top-Event des Jahres in der Minoritenkirche in Krems-Stein eingefunden, die mit ihrem spektakulären Ambiente den idealen Rahmen für eine derartige Veranstaltung bietet.

Countless visitors, prominent wine growers & chefs have come together to celebrate in this unique event location provided by the Minoritenkirchen (former) church in Krems-Stein.

 

Die Köche und ihre Teams - alle Star-Köche des Festivals kochen an diesem einen Abend für uns auf! - legen sich mächtig ins Zeug: Wir lieben die Verkostungen auf wirklich allerhöchstem Niveau. Beeindruckend.

The chefs and their teams: All of them are contributing with pride. We can’t believe how lucky we are to be here!

 

Gourmet-Safari, Top Wines & a lot more: It’s all happening this April 2013

Perhaps the single greatest aspect of participating in this culinary opening gala of the Wachau Gourmet Festival is the fact that many more events are yet to come. For instance the “wein.genuss.krems” wine tasting event on 5 & 6 April right here in the city of Krems, or the “GOURMET-Safari” on the evening of 9 April, 2013, which has already caught my attention: Each course is being served in a different, well-known restaurant, the entire wine journey & gourmet safari being commented by a sommelier. As a travel blogger with a focus on Gourmet Travel, I should definitely join some more of these events. Don’t you think? 😉

Wir erinnern uns: Spät nachts schenken beim Feiern auch gerne mal die Köche selbst einen ein ... Es muss ein Wein sein. Und zwar einer der Besten!

Remember, thinking back after midnight it’s actually the chefs who take to standing behind the bar: Free top wines for everybody! We like 😉

 

Einfach. Nur. Köstlich. !!

Simply. Delicious. !! Who would like a bite?

 

Aus diesen Gläsern fließt vorzügliche Erbsensuppe: Wer hätte gedacht, wie raffiniert man diese zubereiten und servieren kann?

This bottles later held our famous pea soup. Who would have thought that a simple vegetable soup can be cooked and served with so much style?!

 

Das Wachau Gourmet Festival: Ein Fixpunkt am internationalen Gourmethimmel, wie ich meine.

The Wachau Gourmet Festival: Stellar Express for all lovers of gourmet events like these. My word of Thank You to …

 

... an alle Köche, Küche & Service-Mitarbeiter, die hier mitgewirkt haben und den Abend zu einem für uns unvergesslichen Event gemacht haben!

… all the chefs, kitchen hands and service personnel who have made this evening possible and turned into an unforgettable memory for us!

 

And the party goes on: Im stilvollen Ambiente der ehemaligen Kirche feiern wir direkt am "Altar" mit Musik, Wein & guter Unterhaltung!

And the party goes on: The former Minoriten church provides for a spectacular background to this event, the wine is served straight from the former altar!

 

Prost, Ihr Lieben! Bis zur nächsten Wachau Gourmet Festival Veranstaltung!

“Prost”, my dear! See you at the next Wachau Gourmet Festival event! 😀

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