Gasthaus Weingut Stahl

Gasthaus Stahl in Oberwesel-Dellhofen was our first stop along the Rhein. Though it is a small town, it is a harbor for touring ships going up and down the river (e.g. Viking) with two lovely medieval churches, many towers, and a rebuilt castle on a promontory high above the town. We had a very large, cheerful, tastefully decorated, recently built room with a balcony on the third floor. There was a small anteroom from which the bath was accessible. The white furniture was obviously quite new and stylish interpretations of the furniture of this rural area. The room was very quiet. Though there was no elevator, the innkeeper, Mr. Paul Stahl, cheerfully carried our luggage to our room. There was no in-room bar, but the inn provided local bottled water and a complimentary small jar of honey from bees on their estate! We were delighted to learn that Mr. Stahl had spent 3 years in New York working as a chef. His English was excellent. This area of Germany does not have a lot of English speaking guests, so his proficiency was very welcome. He had prepared a booklet for each room which showed pictures of the sights in the area with descriptions of how to get there in several languages, including English. He was a wealth of information desired by tourists and gave us many tips on how to spend our days in his area. The dining areas are at least 4 in number and I believe are all smoke free. The largest, used for weddings and other large gatherings has a balcony around all four sides that is furnished with genuine antique home furnishings and photographs. The other three smaller rooms are: "the bar" in which you can also eat; and two delightfully decorated rooms where the walls have been recently hand-painted with beautiful views of villages along the Rhein. These are painted in such a way so as to make the illusion of the diner sitting in trellised garden viewing the towns at a distance. It is really a lovely effect which makes the rooms seem larger and brighter. The wine list includes wines made on the Stahl estate. You can have them dry, semi-sweet, or sweet, and Paul will take you under the inn to see the wine cellar if you ask. We tasted several of the dry wines and found them excellent. My husband has educated himself about wine and has tasted on 4 continents. He found these to be top notch. The menu is hearty Rhein country fare. The three smaller dining rooms were filled with guests every evening. Most of the items on the menu were raised by the Stahls on their own estate. The portions are huge by California standards and delicious. The deserts were heavenly home made kuchens and torts. Several family members work in the kitchen and/or serve. On Sunday evening we ate in the bar area which was packed with friendly local people, including the mayor and city councilmen! It was obviously a local hangout for mature adults. It was also obvious that they all liked Paul. Someone in the village has written a history of the place. The Stahl family and the historic inn building have been there for many, many generations. We were very impressed by the Gestalt of the inn—its people, its lodging and its food, and highly recommend it.