„A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world.“
Louis Pasteur

Our chairman, Michael Stern, passed away in early May after a serious illness. The funeral service took place in the Kartäuserkirche. Rudolf von Borries, a long-time companion of Michael Stern, delivered a poignant speech. We cannot express our grief more fittingly, so we are publishing excerpts of the speech here:

„If I stand here today, it is with a heart that is heavy and at the same time filled with deep gratitude. Gratitude for a person for whom this quote by Louis Pasteur was not decoration, but conviction. For Michael, wine was culture, enjoyment, encounter. A moment in which one pauses, shares, truly speaks with one another. And that is exactly how he lived: with depth, with joy, with a heart that was open to people.
Over 30 years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting him in his VINTAGE on Pfeilstraße, Cologne's hotspot at the time. Everyone who belonged to or wanted to belong to the burgeoning media city of Cologne met there in the evenings. From the very beginning, Michael impressed me as a born restaurateur, and very soon as a business partner. At some point, it became impossible to separate these roles.
We worked, laughed, argued, and dreamed together. We celebrated successes and overcame challenges. And throughout all these years, Michael was someone you could rely on unconditionally. Not sometimes. Always.
For over 15 years, we had a close business relationship with KölnSky. He was loyal, dependable, honest. A man who kept his word. Someone who didn't shy away from responsibility, but embraced it. Someone who was always there when you needed him, without grand gestures, but with great effect. Anyone who has experienced that knows how rare it is. I know it.
Michael was a restaurateur through and through. Not as a title, but as a calling. In the way he filled a room. In the way he welcomed people and made them feel: You are welcome here. You are seen here. You are understood here.
His life's work, the Cologne Fine Food Days, carries this attitude like a fingerprint. As a co-founder, he didn't just create an event. He taught a city what it means to approach food and wine with passion, with respect, indeed with joy. I promise you, dear Michael, these days will endure and continue your legacy. Michael, you will always live on in the FFDC. On the grounds, in this very place where we are privileged to stand today, the opening kitchen party of your FFDC took place and hopefully will continue to take place in the future.
And then there was the wine.
Michael collected, tasted, studied, but above all, he celebrated it. Celebrated in the most beautiful sense: recognising something special and sharing it with others. When Michael opened a bottle, a new universe opened up. A memory. A connection. He knew that wine held more than just taste; it held history, patience, the spirit of a place. This knowledge changes how you drink. How you live. I was fortunate enough to learn this alongside him. And this knowledge wasn't just an opinion for him; it was an attitude.
There is a story that still makes me smile today, and it describes Michael better than any adjective. A guest, with all due respect: a very wealthy guest from Eastern Europe, had booked a table at the Vintage, and had discreetly enquired whether it was possible to serve Cola with a Pétrus. A Pétrus. Michael paused for a moment. He took note of the request calmly. And then he cancelled the reservation. No drama, no lengthy explanation. Just this quiet, absolute conviction: some things you just don't allow, not out of arrogance, but out of respect. Respect for the wine, for the winemaker, for what is in such a bottle. For Michael, it wasn't a question of prestige. It was a question of integrity.
Our KölnSKY, over on the other side of the Rhine in the KölnTriangle, was managed jointly by Michael and Nicole. What you have built up there is not just a business success. It's a place with soul. And Nicole, you know better than anyone else what went into those years. What you have given together. Michael always spoke of you, of you, of Max, of Elisabeth, of Johannes, and with a warmth that put everything else in the background. Family was not a part of life for him. It was his foundation…
I, we, your colleagues and all employees of our group bow to you in deep gratitude – for a person who understood life.“

Victor Hugo, French writer
„God made only water,
but man made wine.“