Monday, August 31, 2009

Wine Bar: Rutz Weinbar—Berlin, Germany

Whenever I am in Berlin, I try to stop at the Rutz Weinbar in the Chaussee Strasse 8 in Berlin-Mitte and enjoy their outstanding wines.

Rutz Weinbar is not only a top wine bar—it is also a top restaurant and a top wine store, but I go their for the wine bar.

Rutz Weinbar has an extensive wine list, about 1000 or so wines, largely from Germany and other European countries. For example, Rutz offers 13 different wines from Weingut Kuenstler/Rheingau/Hochheim. The nice thing is that you can consume all wines for the wine-store- price plus a corkage fee of Euro 18. Winebar Rutz also has some excellent New World wines including about a dozen different vintages of Opus One. The oldest one—1985—goes for Euro 392 in the wine store, and Euro 410 at the wine bar.

You can also eat at the bar from the exciting bar menu; I love the “Rinderroulade”—a German specialty. The kitchen and the main part of the restaurant, including an outside deck, are on the second floor. The restaurant is one of the best in Berlin, with 1 Michelin star and 16 Gault Millau points. Chef Marcus Mueller offers a number of 5/6 courses menus for between Euro 55 and 105; you can also eat a la carte for Euro 20 to 30 per course.

Rutz Weinbar organizes special events on a regular basis. Next Friday, September 4, 2009, sommelier Billy Wagner has invited 6 prominent colleagues from all over Germany to participate in the “Hausbesetzung im Rutz”. This will certainly be a culinary feast and a lot of fun. Chef Marcus Mueller will prepare a 5 courses menu for Euro 139. Each course will be accompanied by a different—German-- wine, presented by one of the invited sommeliers. The Rheingau will be represented by a wine from Weingut Peter Jakob Kuehn/Oestrich. The dinner will be followed by a bottle party starting at half an hour to midnight.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to make it as I will be in Berlin only a couple of weeks later. Then, of course, I will have my Rinderroulade at the bar, with the fantastic wines of the Weinbar Rutz.

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