Place the woodruff (or vanilla beans), powdered sugar, wine and brandy in a bowl.
Cover the mixture for 30 minutes, no longer. Remove the sweet woodruff (or vanilla). Stir contents of bowl thoroughly and pour over a block of ice in a punch bowl.
Add the 3 bottles of Mosel or Saar-Ruwer wine or other similar German dry white wines, along with 1 quart of carbonated water or German sparkling wine.
Decorate the punch with thinly sliced oranges, sticks of pineapple and, most appropriately, sprigs of sweet woodruff or thyme.
