(Star Wine List) A comprehensive wine bible blended with a relaxed vibe that lets guests feel as if they were enjoying a glass of something delicious in their own living room. That was the secret to Munich’s Grapes Weinbar taking home three coveted gold stars including the Grand Prix 2024 for Germany, Austria and Switzerland (DACH).

In the first such regional awards, hosted at Burgtheater’s Vestibul restaurant in Vienna on 25 May, despite offering up a list that gives equal billing to Champagne as well as international sparkling wines such as Sekt and Pét-Nat, a section dedicated to Asian vintages and a highly comprehensive natural wine section, Munich-based Grapes Weinbar takes the pretension out of wine, according to operations director Bernd Großschädl.

“We want to be a space where people can drink and talk about wine in a cosy atmosphere,” he says, “and it doesn’t matter if they are new to this world or already very passionate about it.

“At Grapes, we see people as friends rather than guests and try to make them feel as if they are in their living room. The extensive wine list means we have a lot of options to make them feel happy and we always look for the best solution. And if they want to go on an adventure and discover varieties they’ve never heard of, we’re happy to guide them through those new waters.”

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