After the First World War (1914-1918), the German 'Freistaat Flaschenhals' existed from 10 January 1919 to 25 February 1923 in what is now the Rheingau production area. The German provinces west of the Rhine were occupied by the Allies. In order to maintain a military presence east of the Rhine, the victorious powers established semi-circular bridgeheads with a radius of 30 kilometres near Cologne, Koblenz (American) and Mainz (French). Between the latter two there was an unoccupied area in the form of a bottleneck. The tiny Free State was cut off from the rest of Germany. In 1994, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary, committed winegrowers and restaurateurs launched the FFI (Freistaat-Flaschenhals-Initiative). Its members have committed themselves to produce wines that exceed the legal quality standards and to offer typical regional dishes in connection with them.
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Thorsten Rahn
Restaurantleiter, Sommelier, Weindozent und Autor; Dresden