GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONY The vineyard tower in Wörrstadt is inspired by existing models in Burgundy.
For quite a few years its construction has been under consideration. Now the vineyard tower project is entering its final phase. The official ground-breaking ceremony for the new tourist attraction will take place in the Kachelberg vineyard. The topping out ceremony should be celebrated on September 17th.
“With the tower we want to highlight the partnership,” the town mayor, Ingo Kleinfelder, said, alluding to the “twinning” with the French community of Arnay-le-Duc. This year the community partnership will be 25 years old. When the friends from Burgundy arrive in September to celebrate the “Silver Wedding”, within the context of which the topping ceremony will take place, the tower will remind them of home. For as the architect, Klemens Perka, explained, the vineyard structure with its round form is inspired by the vineyard tower in Burgundy.
Looking up into the Rheingau
Perka’s plans provide for a three-storey structure. Visitors can cast their eyes across the landscape from a height of about 10 metres. “In good weather you can look out into the Rheingau”. With this statement Perka promised the guests a magnificent view from the tower at the ground-breaking ceremony. The mayor of the municipality, Markus Conrad, who is hoping for a positive boost to tourism thanks to the tower, also predicted happy days for the people of Wörrstädt with the new jewel in the vineyard. “Wherever these towers are in our municipality, they will be well received”.
The form in which the tower is to be made available to the public and the areas which should be continuously kept open are still open to discussion, Kleinfelder stressed. As the town mayor also indicated, it is definitely envisaged that the tower should be used for public performances. Also the decision regarding the ultimate fate of the old vineyard protector, which stands in the immediate vicinity of the newly built tower, is, according to Kleinfelder, still to be taken.
The building costs for the tower are estimated at 50,000 Euro. Kleinfelder is counting on generous sponsors to finance the project “so that the town’s coffers will be not put under too much strain”. The town’s leader pointed to the UD Chemie concern, which had contributed 5,000 Euro towards the building of the tower. The pensioners’ group with its founder, Heinrich Jakob Müller, also participated in the implementation of the eye-catching structure in the vineyard. This enterprising troupe will take care of the design of the outdoor area. The tower itself has been built by Eppard construction (Biebelnheim).
Source: Allgemeine Zeitung
Highlighting partnership