If you ever come to Austria you must visit a genuine "Kellergasse" (cellar lane). No, this does not mean visiting an overprised mass tourism institution in Grinzing with parking spaces for tourist busses. If you have a tourist guide that recommends going there send it back to the author, he has no idea what he is talking about. Although there are Kellergassen in Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic we consider them as a real Austrian cultural asset, probably because the most Kellergassen could be found in – who would have thought it – the "Weinviertel" (wine quarter), a part of Lower Austria.
A Kellergasse is mostly a hollow lane outside of the village with earth cellars. In front of the entrance the wine growers built a small pressing house. These houses were used as working place and store room but not for living. That’s why a Kellergasse is also called "Dorf ohne Rauchfänge" (village without chimneys). Wandering through the Kellergasse is always nice. Some houses are neat and fancy, some are old and rustic. The first sketch was done in spring, when I had plenty of time.
In autumn the Kellergasse gets crowded. The local wine growers organize a weekend when people can come to the cellars and taste the wine. For several years now I visit the Kellergasse – to be precise the Kellerberg (cellar hill) – in Jedenspeigen. The village is of historic importance (That’s explained in another post.) and famous for its vine. After tasting some white wines I started with this loose sketch. I only made a simple setup and some ink lines. For the water colour I used a dagger brush.
This house was done more accurately. I needed the help of a Rosemary Pocket Brush size 4 for the details, especially because I didn’t do any ink lines.
Then I had to move on and taste some red wines. I hope autumn weather will arrive here soon (It is still too hot now.) and colour the leaves. That’s definitely the time to do more sketches in a Kellergasse and of course to drink more wine, too.
