130-year-old bottle of German bubbly found at construction site
A German winery ought to propose a toast to construction workers after a bottle of sparkling wine produced more than 130 years ago was found during renovation work on a bridge in eastern Germany.
The bottle of Rotkaeppchen wine was discovered in August last year at a bridge along the Unstrut river in the town of Nebra and now occupies a coveted spot in the company's archives, a spokesman for the Rotkaeppchen-Mumm winery said on Tuesday.
The bottle of Kloss & Foerster Sekt - a precursor to today's Rotkaeppchen brand - was found in a small metal time capsule alongside other period items at the bridge, which was christened in 1886.
During the town's transfer of the bottle, Rotkaeppchen-Mumm said it would donate 1,000 euros (1,120 dollars) to a charitable cause.
Rotkaeppchen's history dates back to 1856, when brothers Mortiz and Julius Kloss teamed up with friend Carl Foerster to start a winery in Freyburg along the Unstrut and produce sparkling wine.
The brand Rottkaepchen, which is German for "Little Red Riding Hood," was inaugurated in 1894, and is now Germany's most popular sparkling wine brand, according to company results.
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