Hesse's former prime minister, Volker Bouffier, likes to come to the Bergstrasse.

Now he has another reason to go for long walks through the vineyards, because in Heppenheim he now has his own bench with a view over the Rhine plain to Mannheim and Ludwigshafen.

On Wednesday afternoon he took it over at the annual celebrity vintage of the Bergstrasse wine cooperative.

In 2003, a prominent Bergstrasse ambassador was appointed for the first time.

At that time, Lisa Edling was the German wine princess, which was particularly appreciated by the winegrowers on the Bergstrasse.

From then on there was a new ambassador every year in Germany's smallest wine-growing region.

In addition to Lisa Edling, these include three other German wine princesses, but also other celebrities who have their residence on Bergstrasse: for example the organ virtuoso Franz Lambert, who invited former Chancellor Helmut Kohl to his home on special occasions, the former soccer coach Klaus Schlappner, and the actor Walter Renneisen , the canoeist Nicole Reinhardt, multiple world champion and 2008 Olympic champion, and finally racing driver Sebastian Vettel.

Shirt sleeves with no tie

Once a year, the ambassadors meet for the celebrity vintage in the so-called district vineyard above Heppenheim and read the ambassador wine.

On Wednesday, in beautiful autumn weather, Lambert and Schlappner, the Blumenweg jazz musicians, a band that is well-known beyond Heppenheim, came, along with Caroline Kolb, who was the German wine princess in 2015/2016 as Caroline Guthier.

Nicole Reinhardt also took part in the harvest, supported by district administrator Christian Engelhardt and the first district councilor Diana Stolz.

Bouffier also grabbed a bucket and plucked the red Riesling grapes from the vines – the Bergstrasse has the largest area under cultivation for Red Riesling in the world.

Bouffier also has his own vine nearby, which the county gave him for his 70th birthday.

The presence of the former prime minister was "a dramatic increase in the number of ambassadors," enthused the district administrator.

Incidentally, Vettel has not yet been seen on this occasion.

The former father of the country, shirt-sleeved without a tie and in jeans, spoke again of the challenges of the pandemic.

He received more than 400,000 letters and emails during this time, mainly from old people from retirement homes, but also from their relatives because they had not been able to see each other for months.

And then he promised the district administrator: "I'm not here for the last time."

Bouffiers Bank is not to be missed.

It is made of fine wood and bears the inscription "Dedicated to our country's father, Volker Bouffier, on farewell".

A dozen photographers quickly gathered around the former prime minister, who clearly enjoyed this attention.

First alone, then together with the regional wine queen Stefanie Kippenhan, the district administrator and the first deputy - and finally with the musicians who played "My Bonnie is over the ocean" for him.

"I would have liked to have had a coaching bench like that," said Schlappner, impressed.

When the weather is nice, however, he can use the bench just like all other walkers.

Because Bouffier is only reserved for him when Bouffier is actually sitting there.