The restaurant Wein & Dein in Zurich-Höngg, Switzerland opened in 2002, and as one would hope when the restaurant is part of a vineyard, has an outstanding wine cellar and a menu to match.
Wein & Dein is an attractive restaurant with pale yellow and vertical wood paneling, and strikingly bold contemporary paintings. The tables are dressed with yellow linens and yellow kalanchoe plants in terra cotta pots tied with raffia. Dramatic floor to ceiling red window treatments with white sheers frame the windows, and twig-like chandeliers with white fairy lights add interest, as does the black leather and wood chairs and banquettes.
After spending the morning touring the Domaine Zweifel vineyards and wine cellar in October 2006 with Master Vintner Urs Zweifel, Edward F. Nesta and I were more than ready to sit down and enjoy a relaxing lunch at Wein & Dein with him to learn more about the wines and the restaurant.
Mr. and Mrs. Zweifel, Urs Zweifel
Since opening, the restaurant has received many awards for their wine collection, including a 2006 Wine Spectator award for having one of the most outstanding wine lists in the world.
The restaurant matches the wine to the food and offers two different wines by the glass from the large selection of wines on the cart for every course, which the chef keeps interesting by changing the Dinner menu every 2-3 weeks and the Lunch menu every 2-3 days. In addition to the wines in the restaurant, guests can also purchase a bottle of wine in their wine shop which sells Swiss as well as international wines, and only pay a small corkage fee. In the rare instance that the guest does not finish the bottle, they will re-cork the bottle to take home, now that is what I call the ultimate "doggie bag."
For lunch, Urs selected the Zart gebratenes Kaninchenfilet im Kräutermantel auf Taglierini an einer Pommery-Senfsauce dazu gegrilltes Gemüse (Roast rabbit filet in Pommery sauce with grilled vegetables), paired with a 2005 Pinot Noir from Zurich Renúgen, that was fresh, fruity, made with Pinot Noir and Reichenstein, and a 2004 Terzett Cuvée made with a blend of 60% Pinot Noir, 34% Gamay Noir, and 6% Regent (a new variety from Germany) with denser aromas.
Edward selected the Gespickter Hirschbraten an Sauerrahmsauce, serviert mit glasiertem Rotkohl, Tessiner Polenta und karamellisierten Kastanien (Venison with sliced red cabbage, polenta, and glazed chestnuts), which was also paired with a 2005 Pinot Noir from Zurich Renúgen, and a 2004 Terzett Cuvée.
I selected the Kräutercrêpre gefüllt mit herbstlichem Gemüse an einer Schnittlauchsauce und mit Mozzarella überbacken (Mixed vegetable crepes with yellow parsnips and harticot verts, with a green herb sauce and gratinated mozzarella), beautifully presented and paired with two wines: a 2005 Zweifel Reserve Lattenberg Sauvignon Blanc, with 13% alcohol, and a 2005 Lattenberg Räuschling, which was aromatic and sweeter. As they say in Swiss-German, Proscht und En gueta (Cheers and Bon Appetit)!
Wein & Dein is open for Lunch and Dinner, Tuesday – Saturday. They are closed for 3 weeks from July – August, and are closed for New Year's.
On your next trip to Zurich, you might enjoy visiting Domaine Zweifel, followed by Lunch or Dinner at Wein & Dein.
Read about Domaine Zweifel – The Art of Making Swiss Wine and Lattenberg Rauschling 2005 in the Wine Cellar section.
Wein & Dein
Domaine Zweifel
Eigenbau der Zweifel & Co. AG
Regensdorferstr. 20
CH-8049 Zurich-Höngg
Switzerland
Telephone: +41 344 2211
Fax: +41 344 2403
Email: info@ZweifelWeine.ch
www.ZweifelWeine.ch
Read other articles on Switzerland in the Destinations, Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, Chefs' Recipes, Spas, Liquor Cabinet, Wine Cellar, Gastronomy, Luxury Products, and Adventures sections.
For information on Switzerland, please visit: www.MySwitzerland.com. For information on Lucerne: www.Luzern.org. For information on Interlaken: www.InterlakenTourism.ch.
For information on Bern: www.BernInfo.com. For information on Zurich: www.Zuerich.com. For information on Swiss International Air Lines: www.swiss.com. For information on the Swiss Pass: www.SwissTravelSystem.com.
© April 2007. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com All rights reserved.
