An Audience With the Queen

You won’t believe it, but I recently had an audience with a real queen!
My two-day stay in Meissen, in the heart of the unique Elbe wine region, was literally crowned with a truly inspiring dinner.

The Elbe Wine Region

The Elbe wine region is dotted with dreamy fairytale chateaus. As a matter of fact, Germany’s oldest castle towers directly above the small town of Meissen. Therefore, I shouldn’t have been that surprised to meet royalty.

“The Wine Queen will be accompanying you to dinner,” Karla, who is organizing my trip to Dresden and the Elbe region, tells me. “Why?” I’m a bit unsettled. I didn’t pack anything appropriate to wear, and I can’t curtsy. “She wants to meet media people.” Well, I am a media person, alright, there’s no doubt about that.

Punctuality is the politeness of Kings, they say. But Ivanna Wübken is a Queen, obviously. Therefore, she arrives a few minutes late. She seems a bit short-winded as she takes off the black jacket she’s wearing over her black blouse and black trousers. The only thing that hints at her majestic status so far is a narrow headband decorated with vines and umbels she wears in her hair. She apologizes profusely for being a tad bit late: There are countless restaurants in the wine region that call themselves Whatever-Keller. Keller is German for cellar, and that always has an inviting feel to it. Therefore, various restaurants around town added Keller to their name. She’s late because she went to the wrong Keller.
No problem, I just arrived a couple of minutes ago myself.

Ivanna

So, Ivanna Wübken is a Queen. You’ve never read anything about her in the tabloids? That could be because her realm is a very specific region. Until August, she’s the reigning Wine Queen of Germany’s Federal State of Saxony.

I don’t know what you imagine a Wine Queen to be. Ivanna says many people think she got the title because she always drinks a lot of wine. No, that’s not what I was thinking. I imagined more a kind of a beauty pageant. Twenty Saxon women in swimsuits and a jury voting over a carafe of wine to decide who’s the hottest one among them.

However, that’s not correct either.

Contrary to some of those miss pageants, the jury isn’t made up of a few horny creeps, but of around 50 winemakers, businesspeople, and local politicians. A Wine Queen doesn’t have to drink a lot of wine, but rather has to have lots of special knowledge about basically everything wine-related.
Obviously, it doesn’t hurt if she’s in addition also pretty.

And Ivanna is absolutely beautiful. But I quickly realize that her true superpowers are her intelligence, her drive, and her passion.

An Ambassador

Ivanna doesn’t hail from a winemaking family like many of the Wine Queens before her. She worked in the food retail industry and discovered her passion for high-quality wine on the job. Living in a beautiful wine-growing region has certainly fueled her infatuation with viticulture.

Ivanna doesn’t just want to represent Saxon wine. She wants to promote it, make it cherished, even beyond the borders of the state of Saxony. And she believes in the power of social media. That’s why she wanted to meet me during my weekend visit to this small, outstanding wine region.

Our dinner is one of around 200 appointments Ivanna has to complete during her one-year term. Not so easy for a young mother with a toddler, is it? “We have a modern marriage. If people admire my husband for looking after the child, I point out that he’s the father.” You go, girl.

An Italian-inspired two-course meal with corresponding Saxon wines has been pre-ordered for us. Ivanna asks for non-alcoholic wine. Makes total sense since she doesn’t live within Meissen’s city limits, but has to drive to her home in the next village over.

I have to admit that I always assume that non-alcoholic versions of alcoholic beverages like wine and beer are nothing but dull substitutes. It’s simply the second-best choice, therefore, it doesn’t matter what kind of swill you order. Apparently, that’s not the case. Ivanna takes a sip from the poured glass, swirls the wine around in her mouth for a moment, and then asks for a non-alcoholic sparkling wine. So, it seems there are taste and quality differences even among non-alcoholic wines, after all.

In Abundance

200 appointments. That surely means a giant closet full of glittering gowns and an insane supply of cosmetics? Aren’t designers and cosmetics manufacturers clamoring to sponsor the royal appearance? “No,” Ivanna replies, laughing. “But I don’t need large quantities, anyway. One high-quality piece like one pair of earrings, one necklace, one watch, that’s enough for me.” A Queen who is not into consumerism – color me impressed. If all Royals were like Ivanna, I might become a monarchist after all.

She’s not really into handbags either, but she has one that is dear to her. No, it’s neither a Birkin bag nor a Chanel 2.55. It’s a model from the Meissen porcelain manufactory. And no, it’s not made from porcelain, obviously! Between 2009 and 2014, the manufactory expanded its portfolio under the Meissen Couture label, producing accessories like bags in addition to clothing such as evening and wedding gowns. Ivanna shows me a picture of her leather treasure. “I think it’s so beautiful with the traditional crossed swords logo,” she enthuses. So, here, too, it’s not about pretentious flexing, but about the love for locally, beautifully manufactured pieces.
The quality defines the value, not the price tag.

I absolutely love it when people are passionate. And by now it’s quite clear that Ivanna didn’t become Wine Queen because she loves cutting red ribbons while wearing sparkling gowns. She actually doesn’t seem to have too much interest in being the most important person in the room. For her, the wine is the main character. Although she wasn’t born in Saxony and doesn’t stem from a long-established winemaking family, she has a deep love for the wine region. “For me, the greatest thing is going out to the vineyards at dawn and seeing the sunrise,” she enthuses.
In fact, her Instagram contains almost as many photos of vines and sunrises over vineyards as there are of her.

Keep On Keeping On

And because she values ​​the landscape, the wines, and the people associated with them so much, she wants the tradition to continue. She wants to bring it forward.
And the best tool to secure the wine region’s future should be social media.
Duh, isn’t that obvious?
Yes, but while that’s more than apparent to you and me, Ivanna doesn’t know everyone in charge behind her in all her endeavors.

Tradition is something very valuable and beautiful. But tradition cannot thrive if it is not transferred to the present. Yes, by using contemporary marketing tools. At this point, Ivanna has to do a lot of convincing. But she has the power. After all, she’s a determined Queen who wants to lead her realm sustainably into a prosperous future.

The position of Wine Queen is held for one year. When Ivanna passes on her crown at the end of August, I’m sure it won’t be the last time we hear of this very special woman.

As you read these posts about the Elbe Wine Region, you will certainly understand Ivanna’s enthusiasm for this area:

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