“Oh goodness” she said ” Just call me Sina”

Sina Listmann is the Rhine-Hessian Wine Queen and thus in the running for the title of German Wine Queen in September this year.

She’s a shoo-in as far as I’m concerned.

And it’s not a Beauty Contest with bikinis and high heels, if that’s what you’re thinking – you’re the ambassador for the region (or Germany, for that matter) and if you get this far, your knowledge of all aspects of wine growing, making and marketing is profound.

Met her last year at about this time at her parents’ vineyard in Dorn-Dürkheim – where she helps out alongside  studying anthropology, political science and philosophy at Mainz University – on an Open Gardens weekend.

They’ve planted a classic Victorian garden with plants of the era (Monkey Puzzle tree, anyone…?) and formally clipped box hedges and Sina did the guided tour.

And served in the café.

Informative, witty, eloquent and just so natural.

And I kept thinking ” Only 22 years old? At her age, I was a real hick..”.

Still am, for that matter.

So when she popped up in the local rag as a candidate for the regional title, I KNEW she’d win.

Flash forward to the weekend.

Open Gardens again, Her Majesty Sina comes up to say “Hello” and – after I’ve got over my confusion – ask for a photo op.

“Do you want to see the crown?”

“You’ll have to be quick when I put it on” she says “It doesn’t fit me very well and ends up over my eyes”

Big-headed, she’s not.