Outstanding Wine Concepts 2026

VDP.Prädikatsweingüter and meiningers sommelier present the "Outstanding Wine Concepts" (Ausgezeichnetes Weinkonzept) awards at the VDP.Weinbörse 2026 in Mainz.

There are places where wine is more than just another item on the drinks list. That is exactly what the “Outstanding Wine Concepts” (Ausgezeichnetes Weinkonzept) stands for—presented by VDP.Prädikatsweingüter in cooperation with meiningers sommelier. What began as an honour for exceptionally well-thought-out wine lists with a focus on German producers has become a coveted seal: a visible sign of lived wine culture, from the urban wine bar to luxury retreats. Wherever the brass plaque bearing the VDP eagle hangs, it’s not about “more,” but about “right”: sound advice, a clear signature, an outstanding concept.

Interest was high again in 2026. More than 70 venues from Germany, Austria and Switzerland – as well as from the Netherlands and even Italy – submitted their entries, and once more the jury honoured the most compelling concepts.

This year’s special award focused on Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), a variety that like few others stands for finesse and provenance in German red wine. The prize went to Hotel Restaurant Ruland, led by Andreas Carnott and his son Jacob Carnott.

Overall, this year’s award winners are richly diverse – united by an uncompromising yes to Germany’s top wines. They curate and communicate; they translate wine into pleasure. Unshowy, yet formative.

The following laudations were held by Sascha Speicher, Editor-in-Chief of meiningers sommelier.

Special Award: Best Spätburgunder Concept

Riesling is and remains Germany’s USP – of course. But Spätburgunder is increasingly becoming the joker, even on the international stage. Not merely because Burgundy, the long-standing benchmark, is increasingly being worn down between the challenges of climate change and price excesses. Simply because Germany’s Pinots keep getting better—more precise, more assured in style. So choosing Pinot as this year’s special theme was almost overdue.

Andreas Carnott and Jacob Carnott, Hotel-Restaurant Ruland

That we are awarding the prize to a hotel in the Ahr Valley could invite hasty conclusions. Because this is by no means “only” an excellent regional selection. Naturally, the home region is represented almost without gaps, with more than 80 Spätburgunder positions and additional, carefully chosen Frühburgunders. But that is not all. Seven estates from Baden, eight from the Palatinate, plus further producers from Franconia, the Rheingau and Württemberg, create a genuine showcase of German Spätburgunder—also with appropriate depth of vintages. Every harvest of the last decade, from 2013 to 2022, appears on the list without exception, and in multiple entries. Andreas and Jacob Carnott from Hotel-Restaurant Ruland in Altenahr put it perfectly in their application: “Looking beyond the rim of the glass and knowing what’s happening in the cellars to the right and left of the Ahr Valley is reflected in the range as well. Only drinking what’s familiar would be boring.”

Ausgezeichnetes Weinkonzept International

Marco Pignotta, Ristorante da Michele, Rome

How brightly German Riesling’s USP can shine internationally is made clear by Marco Pignotta’s wine list. The jury members were, quite simply, perplexed at how extensive the Riesling selection at Ristorante da Michele is—because the restaurant is not in Munich, but in Rome. Guests can expect a selection of 290 German wines, with significant vintage depth and at astonishingly moderate prices. In addition, there are numerous auction rarities. The focus clearly lies on the Mosel, Saar and Ruwer; the strongest single producer, however, is Weingut Dönnhoff, with more than 40 positions. Meyer-Näkel keeps the flag of German Spätburgunder flying—an addition to the list that is rather new, while Marco Pignotta has cultivated his Riesling passion for many years. In very different styles, as he emphasises: “It works with many dishes—dry, feinherb, or fruit-sweet.” To prove it, he has even created a menu of his own. Truly a perfect ambassador.

Ausgezeichnetes Weinkonzept Germany

Magnus Wanner, Panorama Allgäu Spa Resort

Not everyone may have had this award winner on their radar. It is remarkable what has developed in recent years, within a very small area in the Füssen–Nesselwang–Pfronten triangle, in terms of wine concepts. No fewer than five top hotel addresses that could all have stood on this stage as worthy award winners. In direct comparison, three points tipped the scales in favour of Panorama Allgäu Spa Resort: the thoughtful structure of the list, beginning with a highly organised and diverse range of high-quality wines by the glass, including highlighted sommelier recommendations; the relevance of the selected wines, with a clear focus on classified sites, almost always offered with a certain depth of vintages; and third, the attractive, very well-graded pricing. For classified sites, prices range from €57 to €285—making it easier for guests to overcome hesitation and perhaps venture into an “adventure.” The team—Jacqueline Paul, Laura Bartenschlager and Magnus Wanner—captures the concept succinctly: “The first part of the list offers low-threshold enjoyment. It is aimed at all guests, regardless of prior knowledge. The second part is dedicated to origin, maturity and comparison. Germany forms the backbone of the list. Vertical tastings make development and time tangible.”

Andrea Kauk & team, Grill Royal, Berlin

From one end of the country to the other—from the mountain world of the Allgäu to the capital. There is a place there that, like no other, stands for hedonistic enjoyment, joie de vivre, and the culture of seeing and being seen: Grill Royal. Here, fine cuts of meat and seafood are enjoyed with relish, and great bottles are opened. From a German perspective, the wine list leaves little to be desired—except for German sparkling wine, which simply does not take place at the Grill. In return, among whites and reds, no major name in German wine is missing, complemented by a few of the recent years’ most striking up-and-comers from the alternative scene. The strong mix of current and more mature vintages is notable. Nothing is pushed on any guest, and almost every wish is fulfilled—varietal diversity included. Service is led by Andrea Kauk; she has been the face of the Grill virtually since day one. The sommelier team consists of five people: Nikolaus Laurentius, Pauline Perou, Anna-Patricia Schilling, Nancy Großmann and Alexander Brauer. That alone is a grand statement—and it ensures that guests at the Grill are advised superbly and, accordingly, take pleasure in both enjoying and spending. We would need far more places like this in times like these.

The same joie de vivre is shared by the following two award winners—only with an even clearer focus on wine. North and South again: Berlin and Munich. One a wine bar, one a Wirtshaus. Two formats that benefit from the wine expertise and standing of their operators, who unquestionably count among the most distinctive wine concepts in the German-speaking world. Neither has the most extensive selection of German wines in the country; at both, Austria and France even play a larger role. And yet both venues sell more top German wine in a good month than others with twice the number of listings do in an entire year. That is the point. After all, it’s called “Award-Winning Wine Concept,” not “Most Extensive Wine List.”

Johannes Schellhorn and Willi Schlögl, Freundschaft, Berlin

In Berlin-Mitte, Johannes Schellhorn and Willi Schlögl have been running Freundschaft since 2018. Since then, the wine list has grown—from an original 450 to 800 positions—and one of the strongest areas of growth in that time has been the selection of German wines. The two hosts actually wanted to leave those out: “We trusted that in the German capital, German wines would be offered in broad range and depth in many places. It took years of personal and sensory maturity to admit this mistake.” Anyone who knows the two knows there is no dithering—so over the past two years the selection of German wines has been multiplied. That it is excellently curated goes without saying with these two. The relaxed way it is presented prevents any inhibitions around Große Gewächse and the like from arising in the first place. Great wines offered in a down-to-earth way.

Charlotte Schwarz, Waltz, Munich

Something similar applies to the second congenial sommelier duo, which has risen to the top of Munich’s wine gastronomy within just a few years. Markus Hirschler and Stefan Grabler are also Austrian by birth—showing us in Germany what is possible with the right combination of wine expertise and Wirtshaus culture: getting people, with pleasing regularity, to enjoy high-quality wines. Waltz is doing so well that, together with their partners—the Bieber family—the two opened an additional wine bar in 2025. At Waltz, the role of sommelière has meanwhile been taken on by Charlotte Schwarz. She maintains the wine list and continues to develop it. Its greatest strength is clearly relevance. Any winemaker from Germany who has made it onto the list produces wines with a clear statement—profile and character. It is less about the very biggest name and more about the message in the glass.

Not only in the metropolises is wine culture cultivated; in the wine regions, it is lived. The last two award winners provide textbook examples—both addresses where one can also dine extremely well, as Michelin confirms with two stars.

Stephan Nitzsche, Restaurant L.A. Jordan, Deidesheim

Wine tourism in its highest form—sometimes perhaps a little posh and showy: no German wine town stands for that quite like Deidesheim. Alongside the local wine estates, the Ketschauer Hof Group, with its hotels and restaurants, contributes enormously to the town’s tourist success. But that it takes time—and above all continuity—to develop an excellent wine concept is shown by L.A. Jordan. Stephan Nitzsche has worked there as sommelier for five years now, after several changes in that position before, and with patience he has built a selection that is absolutely on a par with Daniel Schimkowitsch’s star cuisine. At the beginning, the selection of German wines was strongly concentrated on the three estates belonging to the group—though even then with breathtaking vintage depth. In recent years, the range has been expanded massively on this foundation. Today, the Palatinate is represented almost without gaps, including other producers such as Dr. Bürklin-Wolf or Odinstal, each with substantial vintage depth. Added to that are major names from eight further German wine regions, ensuring that the entire wine country of Germany is represented in proper style.

Désirée Steinheuer and Paul Biermann, Steinheuers Restaurant Zur Alten Post, Heppingen

Not by chance do we end with an institution of German wine culture and cuisine—an honour that, at this point, is long overdue. It is rare in our jury meetings for there to be complete unanimity; the pool of first-class wine concepts is simply too large. But this was such a case. At Steinheuers, wine lovers and connoisseurs feel as if they are in seventh heaven—perhaps only a little overwhelmed by the sheer selection on offer. It begins with the Ahr in maximum breadth and depth—vintage depth included—and continues in the other German regions just the same: ten vintages of Schönleber’s Halenberg are in stock, as are Dönnhoff’s Hermannshöhle, Kühling-Gillot’s Pettenthal, or Wittmann’s Morstein and Brunnenhäuschen. The list could go on. German sparkling wine is also available from no fewer than seven producers—more breadth than in almost all other award-winning wine concepts this year. And it is presented in a completely unpretentious and clearly structured way. If, despite the enormous selection, one still feels a little overwhelmed, one can rely entirely on the recommendations of Désirée Steinheuer and Paul Biermann—hostess and sommelier at Steinheuers in Heppingen. And if, later in the evening, it comes to the third bottle of the night, it may be that the patron adds his own expertise as well.