WeinZentrale

As we all know, the word "connoisseur" translates as "expert". If you want to be one, you have to have knowledge - for example when it comes to wine. This requires time and leisure, which not everyone has. But everyone should be able to enjoy good wines – at least according to Jens Pietzonka, two-time Sommelier of the Year, who is breaking down rigid models with his "Wine Centre" in Dresden.

WeinZentrale, which opened in August 2015, is not an exclusive, high-priced restaurant concept, but an inclusive and moderately priced one. The mission statement can be found on the website: "We are not reinventing the wine world, we want it to be better ... more relaxed, more laid-back and, above all, status-free, without diminishing the performance of the vines and winegrowers." Pietzonka himself has learnt and worked in top restaurants, and WeinZentrale on Hoyerswerdaer Straße is his step into self-employment. He collected the furniture for the 40-seat venue (plus a dozen outside) himself at flea and antique markets. Bare vintage filaments, and wooden crates as a back shelf cater to the tastes of Dresden's trendy Neustadt clientele. In the "Adler corner", every wine region in Germany has been given its own shelf – like a small showroom for local wines, created in collaboration with the VDP Association – which blends in well with the informality of the interior.

The restaurant has quite unusual opening hours: it is closed at weekends, but opens at noon on Mondays – with a lot to offer: On Mondays, guests can order any of the 500 wines by the glass, with the motto "rather full glasses than empty slogans". On Tuesdays, magnum bottles are available at a special price, while Fridays are for "leftover drinking".

Also, don't miss the regular "Great Wine Drinking", where bottles of great wines are uncorked, and special events such as "Chianti vs. Riesling", oyster evenings or "WZ Unplugged" with guests provide variety. These nights, the winemakers sit at the tables with the guests and change places after each course.