Tasty Tuesday: A Taste of Würzburg, Germany – Franconian Blaue Zipfel
Tasty Tuesday: A Taste of Würzburg, Germany – Franconian Blaue Zipfel
Our 2027 European River Cruise continues through Germany, and our next stop takes us to beautiful Würzburg, a historic city along the Main River surrounded by the vineyards of Franconian wine country.
For this week's Tasty Tuesday, we're bringing a little taste of Franconia home with a regional favorite that combines two things this part of Germany knows very well — bratwurst and wine!
Blaue Zipfel, also known as Saure Zipfel, is a traditional Franconian dish made by gently poaching bratwurst with onions in a flavorful sweet-and-sour broth of white wine, vinegar and warm spices. It's simple, comforting and surprisingly easy to recreate at home.
Suggested Wine Pairing: 2024 Ketcham Estate Viognier
Ingredients:
- 8 uncooked bratwurst sausages
- 3 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced
- 3 cups water
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Rustic rye bread, crusty bread or soft pretzels for serving
- Dijon or German-style mustard, optional
Preparation
- Prepare the broth. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine the water, white wine, vinegar, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, sugar and salt.
- Add the onions. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, add the sliced onions and reduce the heat. Allow the onions to simmer for about 15 minutes, until they begin to soften.
- Add the bratwurst. Place the uncooked bratwurst into the broth and reduce the heat so the liquid is barely simmering.
- Gently poach. Cook for approximately 10–15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the bratwurst is completely cooked through. For pork bratwurst, cook to an internal temperature of 160°F.
- Serve. Place the bratwurst and plenty of the tender onions into shallow bowls and spoon a little of the warm broth over the top.
Serve with rustic bread, rye bread or a warm pretzel to soak up the flavorful broth. Add a spoonful of German or Dijon mustard on the side if desired.
The traditional Franconian preparation uses vegetables and carawy beneath the pork and finishes at higher heat to crips the rind.
🍷 Ketcham Estate Wine Pairing
2024 Ketcham Estate Viognier
Pour a glass of Ketcham Estate Viognier alongside this Franconian favorite.
The aromatic, fruit-forward character of Viognier is a wonderful contrast to the tangy white-wine and vinegar broth, while its fuller body stands up beautifully to the richness of the bratwurst and sweet onions.
And there is another reason to raise a glass — Ketcham Estate's Viognier was recently named Best in Class and Double Gold at the 2026 North Coast Wine Challenge!
It's a California wine pairing with a distinctly German dish — and the perfect way to toast the next destination on our river cruise.
Next Stop: Würzburg! 🇩🇪🍷
