Norbert Heine, president of the Wine Eleven football team, welcomed some 80 guests at the Atrium Hotel in Mainz to the New Year's reception of the German football wine team.

The programme included a multimedia review of the past year, a sporting report by coach Lothar Böhm and a preview of the fixtures for the 2010 world championship year. In addition, Wine Eleven partner Burkhard Saftig of the ITSA service agency presented the Internet page, which was redesigned in 2009, at www.weinelf.de.

In his address, president Heine thanked the partners of the Wine Eleven as well as the team members for their enthusiasm and participation, and introduced the designated general manager of the Wine Eleven. Christian Wolf of the WEINART wine trading company in Geisenheim will be supporting the work of the borard in future.

Highlights of the Wine Eleven calendar include: in April, the training camp at Edenkoben as well as a restaurant tournament in Keitum/Sylt, in May, a four-countries tournament with winemaking teams from Austria, Hungary and Italy in Cecina/Tuscany, a game against a team of winemakers from Slovenia in Wiesbaden as well as a match against the Message in a Bottle association of young winemakers in Wöllstein. (WF/press release)