When the 2024 Michelin Stars in Germany for the best chefs of the country were announced, something spectacular happened that I have not yet seen before. One of the say 400 German star winemakers became one of Germany`s 340 Michelin-starred chefs: Christian Stahl, Winzerhof Stahl in Franken, Germany, Winemaker of the Year 2018 (FAS, Stuart Pigott), also earned his first Michelin star as a chef in his fine dining restaurant of the Winzerhof Stahl.
At his most recent visit to Washington DC at our house, Christian said at the dinner: "I am a winemaker from Monday to Thursday and I am a chef from Friday to Saturday".
While Christian is a trained winemaker with an university degree, he never had any formal training as chef.
Christian Stahl studied winemaking and graduated from the Geisenheim University in 2005. In 2007, jointly with his wife, he took over the winery of his parents and expanded it to 45 hectares compared with 2 hectares in 1984. In parallel to focussing on the winery, Christian pushed ahead with moving the traditional wine-tavern of the winery towards a fine-dining restaurant, with Christian heading the team in the kitchen, culminating this month in receiving his first Michelin star.
I met Christian for the first time in Frankfurt/ Offenbach at restaurant "Schaumahl", where he presented his wines at a winemaker dinner. This was in 2012.
4 years later, in 2016, Christian started to get a foot into the US market with his wines and he came regularly to the USA with a focus on Washington DC and New York City. His first tasting in the US was in January 2016 at Cleveland Park Fine Wines and Liquor Store. Until Covid hit and then again at the end of 2021, Christian was a frequent guest in the Washington DC area, marketing his wines.
In fact, in November 2021, Christian came with his co-chef Mirko Schweiger, and we organised a dinner at our home in McLean, Washington DC, with the 2 German chefs Christian and Mirko, as well as Chef Ken from Virginia.
In 2017, we visited Christian L. Stahl at the Winzerhof Stahl in Franken and experienced first hand that Christian is not only a gifted winemaker but also a highly talented chef. Those who came on the Germany-East Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017 will definitely remember the out-of-this-world lunch Christian cooked for us at Winzerhof Stahl.
Michelin Guide 2024
Der Kommentar des Guide Michelin 2024:
„Wein oder Essen? Im Restaurant des Winzerhofs Stahl steht beides im
Fokus, und zwar in Form eines modernen 9-Gänge-Überraschungsmenüs samt
perfekt abgestimmter Begleitung aus neun Weinen des eigenen Weinguts.
Das Interieur ist ein charmanter Mix aus minimalistischem Design und
Altbau-Elementen wie freigelegten Holzbalken und offener Steinwand. Dazu
herrscht in dem kleinen Gastraum eine angenehm intime Atmosphäre. Das
ist nicht zuletzt Inhaber Christian Stahl zu verdanken, der persönlich
am Gast ist - man spürt förmlich seine Leidenschaft fürs Kochen und den
Wein! Der Patron und sein eingespieltes Küchenteam, das er zusammen mit
Mirko Schweiger leitet, servieren die Speisen selbst.“
Christian L. Stahl in Washington DC/ USA
Christian has been coming to the US since 2016. His first tasting in the US was in January 2016 at Cleveland Park Fine Wines and Liquor Store. See: Welcome to the USA: Christian L. Stahl from Winzerhof Stahl in Franken, Germany
Later in the year, when Christian came for the second time, he was our guest of honor at our Riesling Party 2016, where he presented his wines. See: Annette and Christian Schiller’s Summer of Riesling 2016 in McLean, Virginia, with German Star Winemaker Christian L. Stahl, German Wine Journalist Joachim A.J. Kaiser and Virginia Star Winemaker Chris Pearmund
In January 2017 Annette organized a winemaker dinner with him at Evo Bistro in McLean, Virginia. See: Franken Wines, Virginia Oysters and French-Mediterranian Food: Winemaker Dinner with Christian L. Stahl from Winzerhof Stahl, Germany, and Chef Driss Zahidi at Evo Bistro in McLean, Virginia
Before the dinner, Annette and Christian Schiller, had invited to a reception with Christian L. Stahl had their private home. We had Rappahanock oysters from Virginia and Stahl wine. They paired very well. See: Franken Wines, Virginia Oysters and French-Mediterranian Food: Winemaker Dinner with Christian L. Stahl from Winzerhof Stahl, Germany, and Chef Driss Zahidi at Evo Bistro in McLean, Virginia
Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours, organized a
winemaker dinner with Christian at the trendy BToo Restaurant on 14th Street
NW.
40 German wine lovers had a great time with the excellent wines of
Christian L. Stahl and the super food of Chef Dieter Samyn.
See: Winemaker Dinner with Christian L. Stahl, Winzerhof Stahl, Franken, Germany, and Chef Dieter Samyn at BToo in Washington DC, USA
Pictures: Winemaker Dinner with Christian L. Stahl and hef Dieter Samyn at BToo in Washington DC, USA
In 2017, we visited Christian L. Stahl at the Winzerhof Stahl in Franken and experienced first hand that Christian is not only a gifted winemaker but also a Highly talented chef. Those who came on the Germany-East Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017 will definitely remember the out-of-this-world lunch Christian cooked for us at Winzerhof Stahl. See: Lunch with Christian L. Stahl, Winzerhof Stahl, Franken: Not only a Gifted Winemaker but also a Gifted Chef - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
schiller-wine - Related Postings
Annette and Christian Schiller’s Summer of Riesling 2016 in McLean, Virginia, with German Star Winemaker Christian L. Stahl, German Wine Journalist Joachim A.J. Kaiser and Virginia Star Winemaker Chris Pearmund
The Bistronomics Cuisine of Chef Christoph Kubenz and the Wines of Winemaker Christian Stahl at Restaurant schauMahl in Frankfurt, Germany
Winemaker Dinner with Christian L. Stahl, Winzerhof Stahl, Franken, Germany, and Chef Dieter Samyn at BToo in Washington DC, USA (2018)