There’s a creative eccentric at work between these vines: Michael Broger goes his own way. Even the house where he lives with his young family is a delightful combination of historical elements and modern installations. As he makes his way through his vines, he’s not alone: his grazing sheep and curly-coated pigs help him by eating the foliage after the grape harvest and fertilising the ground. At the big wine festival, in early December, some of the animal staff members meet an honourable end as home-made Saucisson aux Choux: the perfect accompaniment to Broger’s strong Burgundy wines.

A stone’s throw away from Weinfelden station, Reto Lüchinger and his wife Sybille have created a gastronomic institution: the Eisenbahn Gasthof. Reto Lüchinger is in charge in the kitchen, where he is passionate about quality and local products, right down to having his own trout farm. And, of course, guests have the chance to try out a wide selection of regional Ottenberg wines. “The door to our kitchen is always open, anyone can look in”, observes Lüchinger. You can find him behind his pots and pans every day – he knows exactly what dishes go down best with his guests. Staples of the restaurant include veal liver with rösti (fried grated potatoes), trout and local game. And if you don’t feel like going home again once you’ve enjoyed your meal, why not stay in one of the new hotel rooms in the converted beer store at the guesthouse?