Eckert Fine Dining 🥂
A standout beverage program that exceeds expectations within its local context.
🗂️ Venue Information
Location: Grenzach, Germany
Restaurant Group: JRE – Jeunes Restaurateurs
Head Chef: Nicolai P. Wiedmer
Head Sommelier and / or Beverage Director: Atlanta Lehmann
Estimated USD Cost Per Person (incl. drinks): $275
Culinary Recognition(s): 1 Michelin Star
🥂 Core Scoring Criteria (1–10 each)
🥂 One Glass – A standout beverage program in its category.
Program Identity | 8
Exceptional showcase of mostly Baden- / Germany-based winemakers, with acknowledgement to other old-world producers suited to the course at hand.
Depth & Quality | 7
Selection was both deep and eclectic, as represented by 450 label wine list and unusual wine offerings including still, unfortified Palomino Fino and Gruner Veltliner with RS.
Service & Knowledge | 7
Head Sommelier Atlanta Lehmann was extremely engaging – knowledgeable, and aware of any information gaps pertaining to her beverage program.
Pairing & Integration | 7
A singular well-integrated pairing was offered, with significant portions – i.e., a full glass of wine per course. Be prepared to drink substantially if trying the full 6-course offering.
Accessibility & Experience | 4
Only one pairing on offer, with 450 labels available for those choosing by-the-bottle. Perhaps somewhat inflexible, though extensive in choice.
Innovation & Influence | 9
In pairing with punchy flavors and bold profiles, beverage program did not disappoint. Pushed boundaries with rarely heard of wines, showcasing the homeland while experimenting with lesser known producers and varietals. The addition of still Palomino Fino reflected a clear understanding of relevant trends toward lesser known, potentially misunderstood, varietals.
Total Score: 42.3/60
🥂A standout beverage program that exceeds expectations within its local context.
🧩 Table Harmony
🎯 Strong Harmony – Well-thought-out pairings that enhance the experience
In total, 6 courses, with 5 whites and 1 red. Four of the 5 whites were German, with 1 Spanish and a Super Tuscan. The most notable pairing was a high altitude Baden-based Riesling with screaming acidity and a young greenish appearance, which paired magnificently with the light, ponzu-driven Swordfish Tataki.
🏷️ Specialty Tags
☒🍷 Wine-Led
☐ 🍺 Beer-Focused
☐🍸 Cocktail-Driven
☐🍶 Sake Specialist
☐🧉 Spirits-Led
☒🍇 Terroir-First
☐♻️ Sustainable Cellar
☐🔬 Technique-Driven
☐🧠 Education-Centric
☐💎 Rare & Iconic Bottles
☐🌍 Global Range
☒🏠 Locally Rooted
A very interesting pairing of suckling pig, slow-cooked, side-by-side with the UBE Palomino Fino from Bodegas Cota 45 in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain. Although this pairing wasn’t the most successful of the 6, it highlighted a cognizance toward the broader food program’s awareness of gastronomical trends, notably a shift toward umami-forward plates paired with wines that can “stand up to” richness in flavor with a strong, acidic profile.
🗣️ Inspector Summary
You wouldn’t expect much from the border town of Grenzach, Germany. Aside from its convenient location—just 15 minutes from the nearest Swiss crossing, making it easily accessible to both Zurichers and Baslers—it’s a humble place. Yet, across from a beer-forward local haunt and an unexpectedly placed hookah bar, stands Das Eckert: an unassuming yet surprisingly chic hotel you’d never anticipate from the surrounding neighborhood.
“Understated” is not how you’d describe this establishment’s drink menu. Alongside refreshingly acidic and punchy dishes—most notably the Carrot Rooibos Soup and Swordfish Tataki—the beverage program at Eckert Fine Dining, the hotel’s eponymous Michelin-starred restaurant, is equally assertive and compelling. Head Sommelier Atlanta Lehmann has crafted a wine list that is both deep and eclectic, drawing from the wealth of local producers in Baden and shaped by a careful, deliberate understanding of the nuances each grower brings.
Perhaps no pairing better embodied that philosophy than her addition of a Grüner Veltliner to the six-course wine menu—a forgotten cuvée from a local winemaker, offered exclusively to the restaurant. It hadn’t yet fermented to dryness, resulting in a striking interplay of green aromatics, lifted acidity, and residual sugar—an expression wholly uncharacteristic of your typical Grüner, and all the more memorable for it.