Do you know the story behind the black cat with the arched back that appears on the label above? Well here it is…..
In the town of Zell, which is nestled on the upper Mosel River in Germany, there is a story told of a black cat and a superstitious innkeeper. The innkeeper of the Electoral Castle Hotel had seen his profits gradually falling so decided to start growing grapes as a supplement to his income.
One cool, wet day, just before his first harvest he suddenly came across a black cat between the vineyard rows. He was startled and the cat reacted by arching its back, hissing and spitting at him before disappearing between the vines. The innkeeper fell into the pit of despair at this seeming sign of impending bad luck.
However, his grapes started to ripen to perfection, resulting in a delicious white wine that provided him with a substantial financial reward. He realised that the black cat was indeed an omen of good luck, so decided to name his vineyard after the cat. From that day forward, no dogs were ever allowed to enter either his vineyard of the Electoral Castle Inn. The image of the arched back, frightened black cat became part of the logo of the wine from that day forward and is now recognised as Black Cat Riesling.
