WINE AS OLD AS TIME

Liechtenstein may be the world’s smallest wine-producing country, but its wine heritage is two millennia old. NEETA LAL gets a taste of the region’s royal produce in the winery of Prince Hans-Adam II.

- NEETA LAL

The sky is cloudless and azure, the sun smearing its expansive canvas with a buttery goldenness. Orchards and vineyards in shades of green—from moss to forest—fan out like lush carpets across the bucolic Alpine landscape. The air smells so sweet I can almost taste it.

I’m at the Hofkellerei des Fursten von Liechtenstein, a lush 10-acre cellar and vineyard in the heart of Vaduz, the capital city of Liechtenstein. The landlocked Alpine country— wedged between Switzerland and Austria—is just 160 square kilometres and hosts 35,000 residents, making it the world’s sixth tiniest nation.

Pretty much like the unique country, Hofkellerei is no ordinary vineyard. Its owner is the reigning prince of Liechtenstein, Prince Hans-Adam II, who lives in a Disney-esque Gothic castle perched atop a hill overlooking Vaduz. The winery and its restaurant have been in royal hands since the current prince’s ancestor, Prince Johann Adam, first acquired the county of Vaduz in 1712.

The establishment’s regal ownership notwithstanding, it exudes an informal aura, and is serviced by a friendly and informed staff. Visitors can simply stroll in to sample its bacchanalian delights from Monday to Saturday, during working hours.

A $20 (`1,417) wine-tasting, for instance, will get you four wines from the Vaduz Domain as well as those produced on the Wilfersdorf Domain higher in the hills, both part of the prince’s cellar. Royal celebrity spotting is a bonus as the prince is often at the winery himself, entertaining his guests.