About anna
Behind Lefleur is a story.
And it begins in the Palatinate region.
Anna-Maria Löffler
Education
B.Sc. International Wine Business, Hochschule Geisenheim
Qualified Hotel Professional, awarded by the IHK (German Chamber of Commerce)
Certificates
Diploma Swiss Cheese Sommelière, Switzerland
Chocolate Sommelière, currently in training
Awards
Judge at international wine and cheese tastings
Former Palatinate Wine Queen & German Wine Ambassador
Why wine? Why Lefleur?
Some people come to wine through their family and friends. For me, it began with where I grew up – the Palatinate region. Vineyards, wine festivals and the smiling faces gathered around raised glasses sparked my fascination with this remarkable product that brings people together. At sixteen, I completed my first internship at a winery in Southern Palatinate and began reading my first books about wine – because I wanted to understand how grapes become something that has inspired people for thousands of years through elegance, craftsmanship and aromatic complexity.
Introduction to the 2019/2020 Palatinate Wine Queen on the Palatinate’s official channel.
This fascination with the finer things – with pleasure, style and beautiful dining experiences – shaped me from an early age. Not because I grew up in a world where these things were taken for granted. But perhaps precisely because I did not. I grew up with my mother, who worked full time, and where fine dining and luxury were simply not part of everyday life. Most afternoons, I came home to ready meals and simple food.
But my mother noticed early how much joy I found in tasting and describing things. And so we created our own little tastings – with honey, milk, juices – always asking: what tastes best? And is the expensive one really better?
In a time when there was little room for grand tables, she gave me something far more precious: the ability to find something special in small things. Those moments sharpened my senses, awakened my curiosity – and, without either of us knowing it at the time, laid the foundation for everything that followed.
At the same time, I always loved films in which style, elegance and grace were simply part of life. They gave me a picture of the woman I wanted to become – eloquent, knowledgeable and appreciative. And so I set about working towards exactly that. Already as a child, I attended etiquette courses on my own initiative – later business etiquette programmes – and spent countless hours reading. Not because anyone expected me to. But because that world inspired me. And it still does.
How was Lefleur created?
Many people know the story of taking a first hospitality job to earn some extra money. For me, it became something more. I realised: being of service makes me happy. I love it when people leave more joyful than when they arrived. That feeling never lost its magic.
What followed:
Training in Hospitality Management
The BASF trainee programme in International Hotel Management opened a world I had never expected to enter after school. Service competitions, menu knowledge, drinks recommendations – and an ever-growing fascination for wine.
Weingut von Winning
Alongside my training, I began working in the vinotheque at the winery von Winning – and quickly became involved in events and completed an internship in the cellar. It always felt like coming home. Armed with books and inspired by my first tastings and tours, my mind was made up: I wanted to learn everything there was to know about wine.
B.Sc. International Wine Business, Hochschule Geisenheim University
Oenology, wine chemistry and global wine markets – Geisenheim became the natural next step. A degree taught in English at one of the world’s leading wine universities. And the place where passion and curiosity became expertise.
Years as Wine ambassadrice – alongside university
After countless cellar tours, people repeatedly asked whether I was also a Wine Queen – a regional ambassador elected annually to represent a wine region and German wines as a whole. Until one day I actually won the election for the Palatinate Wine Queen.
Inspiring people for my home region and its wines, sharing knowledge, developing a feel for the market – as exciting as it sounded, it truly was. And spending the following year representing German wines on an international level broadened my perspective once more. Since then, I have been quite certain: I will never get tired of talking about wine.
Building Lefleur
From this conviction grew the desire to create tasting events entirely on my own terms – without compromise. It began with tailored wine tastings for companies wishing to offer their clients and employees something truly special, or for manufacturers wanting to present their wines. But after many successful evenings, a bigger idea emerged: To become the host myself and to open my events to a broader public.
Creating evenings with my own signature, exploring different themes of pleasure and drawing on all the knowledge I had gathered over the years. Since 2026, that vision has become the Lefleur Experiences.
What still inspires me everyday
✦ Keep learning
Alongside my studies and my business, I completed the diploma as a Cheese Sommelier in Switzerland. Rhetoric courses, wine journeys and direct exchange with producers are as much a part of my work as tasting itself. And currently, I am training as a Chocolate Sommelier – because pleasure never ceases to surprise you.
✦ Keep learning
Through award-tastings like Mundus Vini, Frankfurt Cheese Trophy and other competitions, I continue refining my palate and staying connected to the market and new developments.
✦ Continue discovering
Tea, coffee, spirits, spices, olive oil – the world of flavour is endless. And I love every part of it.
✦ Stay close to the guest
Knowledge matters. But what truly drives me is witnessing the moment someone experiences conscious enjoyment for the first time – and leaves happier than they arrived.
And where does the name Lefleur come from?
It all began on a school trip to Paris. A barista misheard my name, Löffler, and wrote Lefler on the cup. My best friend Tatjana was there, and with a smile, Lefler became Lefleur. Away from the German Ö that no one abroad could pronounce – and towards the French word for flower, La Fleur.
To Tatjana I owe not only the name, but the entire visual identity of my brand. A name that, thanks to her, truly blossoms.
What does this mean for you?
To me, Lefleur is a gift – and I do not take that for granted. The ability to savour consciously is something precious. For conscious pleasure is one of the most beautiful ways of truly experiencing life. Not because it must be expensive. Not because one must be an expert. But because it grounds us, connects us and reminds us of what truly makes life rich.
I am convinced: for as long as we have this gift, we should use it, celebrate it and share it with others.
When you come to a Lefleur evening, all you need is curiosity – everything else is already there. And I promise you: the time you invest in moments of pleasure will always be worthwhile.
„Life is too short not to enjoy it.”
Anna LeFleur