Marie Weskott, Nomi Weinbar Berlin: “It’s all about the Wine Vibe”
© nomi Weinbar
Bar ohne Namen
Entschlossen verweigert sich Savage, der Bar einen Namen zu geben. Stattdessen sind drei klassische Design-Symbole das Logo der Trinkstätte in Dalston: ein gelbes Quadrat, ein rotes Viereck, ein blauer Kreis. Am meisten wurmt den sympathischen Franzosen dabei, dass es kein Gelbes-Dreieck-Emoji gibt. Das erschwert auf komische Weise die Kommunikation. Der Instagram Account lautet: a_bar_with_shapes-for_a_name und anderenorts tauchen die Begriffe ‘Savage Bar’ oder eben ‚Bauhaus Bar‘ auf.
Für den BCB bringt Savage nun sein Barkonzept mit und mixt für uns mit Unterstützung von Russian Standard Vodka an der perfekten Bar dazu.
Located in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district, Weinbar Nomi exclusively offers wines that significantly involve women in their production – as vintners or wine-estate owners, for example. But things don’t get dogmatic here, as the atmosphere ranges from relaxed to upbeat. Cocktail selections go well beyond the simple gin and tonic, and starting now food choices beyond the cheese platter will also be served. Jan-Peter Wulf met up with co-owner and sommelier Marie Weskott for a chat.
Marie, Nomi Weinbar has been around for almost one and a half years now; the four of you established it in November 2022. Please tell us how it all came about.
Marie Weskott: I wanted to move to Berlin anyway when a wine merchant put me in touch with the boys [Editor’s Note: Matthias Dräxler, Mali Haag and Felix Adam]. It felt right instantly. Each one of us is good at different things; we complement each other. Mali takes care of design and communication, Matthias is in charge of all crafts-related things, and Felix looks after bookkeeping and staffing.
And you are the mastermind behind the wine bar counter?
Marie: Yes, the boys are still very busy running their event management agency Betterlife, which is why my areas of responsibilities are growing and growing here.
© nomi Weinbar
You also bring many gastronomic skills to the table.
Marie: I’m not extremely good at one specific thing but master a broad range. During my baccalaureate I worked at Sausalitos in Aachen and realised that food service is my cup of tea. I was trained as a restaurant specialist and then also as a chef, working in the kitchen and in service at Purs in Andernach. After that I completed my sommelier training and graduated as a restaurant manager. That means I have a solid foundation, a little bit of everything – which also nicely fits with Nomi Weinbar.
In what way?
Marie: We mainly attract young people who are interested in wine but not necessarily focused on it. For us it’s all about the “wine vibe” and the atmosphere. We approach matters undogmatically. The key is to have fun. And the majority of people want to drink Sauvignon Blanc anyway [laughs].
Nevertheless, your concept is special in that a woman is involved in every wine you offer. When and how did this idea evolve?
Marie: One night, when we philosophised about our unique selling proposition. Initially, the idea was to make 50% of our wines “female”, ensuring equal rights, so to speak. But then I said, if at all, we need to make it 100% [laughs]. And that’s what we did. We didn’t want to brag about it, but the press jumped on it. We hit the zeitgeist and started to increasingly incorporate the theme into our concept. It’s an organic process – such things evolve.
Marie Weskott und ihr Team
© nomi Weinbar
How do you select the wines? I’m sure you’re approached directly by a lot of people.
Marie: Many people write to us because they produce a “women’s wine”. Unfortunately, I have to disappoint some of them because their wines might not meet our quality criteria or because the label doesn’t look nice. Many of them are very small and don’t sell through a wine merchant. But we can’t source everything directly. If I find out that a couple produces a wine, but the man is the main focus, I won’t include that estate either. That said, it might well be the other way round, like with Foradori [Editor’s Note: from the Italian Trentino region]: Elisabetta Foradori no longer produces their wines herself these days, having passed on the job to her son Emilio. However, she used to manage the wine estate in times when it was absolutely unusual for a woman to do so, which had an enormous impact on the region. It’s important for me to have her in my range.
How many items do you currently offer?
Marie: Approximately 120. Add to that our Blackbook, which includes beverages for guests looking to drink something a little more special.
Until now you’ve served gourmet foods that complement your wines. Now you’re expanding your food concept?
Marie: Exactly. Our friends from the Justa Bakery in Neukölln hired Viktor Gerhardinger, who previously worked as a chef at the star-honoured TIAN Restaurant in Munich. Now we’ll be sourcing three starters, two main dishes and one dessert from him on a catering basis, giving us a chance to execute these meals with what we have available here: we’ll put the polenta and the celery on the grill, and we’ll heat the coq au vin in a bain-marie. We’re still a wine bar, after all, but whoever wants to come and enjoy dinner with us is welcome anytime!
© nomi Weinbar
And you’re a wine bar that also offers cocktails.
Marie: In fact many new guests don’t even know that we’re a wine bar when the first come in. They peek through the window, see that there’s something going on inside and assume there’ll also be something to drink [laughs]. And as it gets later, especially on the weekends, many guests don’t necessarily want to drink more wine but would prefer a cocktail instead. We’ll gladly fulfil this wish – with drinks that are in line with our overall approach.
The drinks are “related to wine”.
Marie: One component of each drink has a “grape background” to it, such as port wine, vermouth, verjus, or prosecco, for example. We pre-batch our drinks because our team is more knowledgeable about wine, and our service model does not leave enough time to shake cocktails. Christian Zeitelhack, who worked at Goldene Bar in Munich for five years, has just started with us.
So a new bar menu will be coming soon. Are you going to start shaking at that time, too?
Marie: No, we plan to continue working with pre-batched and stirred cocktails.
You’re a wine bar offering cocktails. But the other way round is rare: Wine plays virtually no role in many cocktail bars. Why not?
Marie: I think because in a way one drink replaces another, and cocktail bars just want to sell “their” drinks. The exception is champagne – many bars feature it on their menu and use it for cocktails.
But what if they want to offer a “proper” wine regardless? What would the sommelier recommend to her cocktail bar colleagues?
Marie: Of course it all depends on the concept. I’d aim for the mid-range rather than the value segment. Opt for some of the same choices we also sell: bottles from 50 to 60 euros, with good minerality and nice acidity. Stay away from simplistic “tutti-frutti” grapes [laughs]. Select a Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre rather than one from New Zealand.
Marie, many thanks for this interview!
