When Veronika Roos is standing at her dough mixer, her grandfather sometimes stops by to offer tips on baking recipes from his bakery. Every weekend, Veronika bakes about 20 cakes and tarts for her wine bistro in the heart of Flonheim’s historic center. Tucked away at the end of a labyrinth of narrow alleys lies the Landhotel Strubel-Roos, with the winery right next door—a true experience in hospitality in the heart of Rheinhessen.

When Heide Roos moved to Flonheim twenty years ago to marry her husband—winemaker Karl Rainer—the gates of the local farms were still firmly closed to outsiders. “There were no restaurants, and practically no one sold wine directly,” she says, “it was considered beneath one’s dignity.” What a joke: Today, winemaking is incredibly trendy, being a winemaker is the dream job for many young people, the wines are among the best in Germany—and tourists love spending their vacations among the vines.

The Roos family were pioneers in this regard: when the grandparents opened the first wine bar in the village in 1969, they were ridiculed. But the old monastery corner was already an unusual place back then: "It was an open courtyard with no gates," says Hilde, and in a way, that probably reflected the mentality of the owners to some extent. 880 years ago, Augustinian canons founded their monastery here, and in 1181 Provost Werenbold obtained the patronage rights for the church in Flonheim – and became the first winegrower in the village.

Outside, in the courtyard, the old wall tells of medieval times, part of the former city wall. The family crest hangs in a niche, a knight watching over a plow and, of course, a bunch of grapes. "It used to be fashionable to have one," says father Karl Rainer, shrugging his shoulders. The family is in the process of banishing monks and crests from the bottle labels; it's time for more modern designs.

Son Frederik is studying oenology and viticulture in Geisenheim and brings new ideas to the winery – such as organic winegrowing or from his internship in New Zealand. Father Karl Rainer started producing sparkling wine in 1985, naturally using the Champagne method, as one of the first in Germany. Today, sparkling wine accounts for 20 percent of sales. "The best idea you ever had, honey," says Heide, laughing, "well, okay, the second best..." Meanwhile, Frederik tells me how much more diversity German sparkling wines have compared to the original Champagnes, "much more fruit and minerality," he says.

Diversity – this is precisely why the Roos family was awarded the Great Wine Capital Award 2017 for transforming the old monastery into a collection of modern and unique accommodations. It started with twelve rooms ten years ago, "which was great fun," says Heide. At that time, they converted the old day laborer's house into an enchanting little accommodation with extravagant furnishings.

Then their daughter Veronika completed her training in hotel management, and after she had become familiar with the operations at star chef Johann Lafer’s Stromburg, 14 rooms simply weren’t enough anymore. The family purchased another section of the Klostereck; today, it houses a small, state-of-the-art hotel with nine rooms bearing names like “Seekuh” (manatee), a reminder of the primordial sea that once flowed here. The workshop was converted into a breakfast room and lounge for Veronika’s WeinCafé; today, around 150 businesspeople, day-trippers, and locals enjoy cakes, wine, and the atmosphere there every weekend.

“Young people come with their friends for a wine weekend,” says Heide; wine tastings are booming—Rheinhessen is bursting with indulgence. And it doesn’t sound like the Roos family is done yet: “We really need more dining options here—wine taverns, wine bars,” Veronika sighs, “our guests have to eat somewhere in the evening...”