Three things I like about fall are coming to my mind. One are the many
fairs we have in our region. Every weekend there's a fair going on in one of the villages and small towns. We mostly go only to one or two (they're fun, but expensive).
Another favorite thing about fall is
"Neuer Wein und Zwiebelkuchen" (=new wine and onion cake) in so-called "Besenwirtschaften" (=broom taverns). This is something which is traditional in the southern wine-growing regions of Germany. A broom tavern is a pub/restaurant/tavern which isn't one for most of the year. Therefore it doesn't need a restaurant-license. Its purpose is to merchandise the products of the wineries directly. Thus a great deal of the offered goods must be self-produced and they are not allowed to offer any alcohol except wine and self-made liquors. No beer!
Usually the wineries just open their yards and barns, put some tables and benches up and that's it. They offer only simple, but solid and traditional food, self-produced wines (and sometimes liquor) and a speciality: new wine and onion cake.
New wine has very little alcohol, it tastes almost like grape juice. You can get it only a few weeks in early fall each year, then you have to wait another year. And onion cake is just what its name says: a non-sweet cake with lots and lots of onions.
Here's a picture of both:
The new wine is cloudy(?) because it's not filtrated.
Typical broom taverns. The name comes from the broom which hangs outside as a signal that the tavern is open. They are restricted by law to open a maximum of only 40 days a year.
I have sweet memories from last year, when I was at a broom tavern with Leslie and her daughter. We'll have one on you this year, Leslie!
Just for the record: the pictures aren't by me, I've found them on the internet. I'll post some of my own pictures with the next favorite thing of mine in fall.
