5 wine bars in Vienna with vast vin selections and quality food to pair it with

You might be forgiven for strolling straight past Ignacio: the boxes in the window and the supermarket-style open fridge that is visible through the door do not exactly scream cosy wine bar. However, get past that and you enter a little Spanish wonderland of wine and tapas with a guy called Ignacio behind it (go figure)

Like any decent wine bar, Ignacio’s not only offers wines, but also the top service packing the wine knowledge that should always come with it. What makes it stand out in Vienna is that they are all of Spanish origin, celebrating the wonderful variety of Spanish food and drink, especially wine.

The storehouse-style shelves are full to the brim with produce out of the mother land of Spain, from wines to dried meats to canned fish, everything you want to whisk you back to that Spanish holiday is there to evoke memories. Fortunately, though they also have a kitchen, which has recently been taken over by Carlos, who is a chef who knows what he’s doing when it comes to Spanish kitchen.

As for the wine, they may only have four open wines per red and white, but the selection has been carefully selected to compliment the seasonally changing menu. Meanwhile, the selection of Spanish wines by the bottle on offer is impressive. And you can tell Ignacio’s favourite wine is Abel Mendosa Rioja, which is such a niche winery it is a wonder he was able to get it out of Spain.

Between them Ignacio and Carlos make quiet a team. A  passion for quality ingredients is held here by this Spanish dream team, Ignacio and Carlos. Whether it be the Salmorejo, which is creamy, rich and smooth puree laced with citrus or the Spanish blutwurst on toast – you can taste the quality and high standard of preparation in everything.

Ignacio’s is more than just a wine bar, it is a storehouse for all things fine and out of Spain. It’s also a wine shop, an intimate and friendly place for a drink, as well as a place you could easily settle down for a full blown meal with a bottle of wine.

This fine little restaurant and wine bar, MAST Weinbistro, in the 9th district will be celebrating its 1-year-anniversary this May. Three young, wine-loving men are at the core of MAST: Matthias and Steve are responsible for curating and sourcing the wine selection, and Martin is the maestro in the kitchen. Which wines make it onto the extensive wine menu is a democratic decision, but one strain through is their focus on Austrian and French wine. They select only top quality wines, of course, with a preference towards Natural wines, meaning they’ve had the minimal amount of chemical and tech involved during the production process.

Young and old, you’ll find all sorts of wine aficionados here. It’s usually always packed as there are only 10 tables in the small, but chic bar. People don’t only visit MAST for the wine, but the food also draws a crowd. As a bistro, they carry a small number of dishes that they serve for lunch and dinner. We’d say the dishes here are a mix of traditional Grandma’s kitchen, meets fine cuisine (especially in terms of the presentation).The ingredients are regionally sourced where possible, and of high quality. The menu is also adjusted to the wine they are carrying, and the current season.

Good to know… due to their preference for Natural wines, they have an extensive list of vegan wines on their menu!

Also good to know… wine is only sold by the bottle at MAST Weinbistro

If you are a self-respecting wine connoisseur, you definitely should not miss this place. Just a side step from the hustle and bustle of Landstrasse Hauptstrasse, the Disneyland of wines is there to fulfil all of your palates wishes. This is by the same people who brought you Pub Klemo in the 4rth district so  the real deal can be expected. And seriously, the 68 pages wine menu can entertain anyone for a really long time, no matter if you’re into the high-end, boutique selections of rare wines that are hard to pronounce, or you’re after a casual and refreshing glass of Riesling. Your spend here can vary from 10€, including some tasty tidbit to pair with your wine, to 1000+ if you decide to have a real Gatsby experience and go for a bottle form a French Château.

Though, if you get lost in between the lines of the novel-like long selection, the self-educated spitz Buben from Heunish & Erben offer wine consultations and tasting rounds. No, this is not the type of event where people get drunk for free. The idea is to get learned about wine, and also how to pair wine in a pleasurable way. Another fact which makes the cosy “Trinkstube der Herzen” even more charming is that it has all legal rights to function as a shop till 1am. Score! So one to go is a thing here! That means selected bottles of wine are sold at store price so you can take it home for a decent schmusen session. But once you’re here, the candle lit room will make you never want to leave.

Pub Klemo is where your wine education either begins, or continues in a exploratory manner. If you know your wine in Vienna, you’ll know of Pub Klemo. It’s an institution that has been around since 2006 when a wine loving couple opened this wine temple. Well, it doesn’t look like a temple, yet it’s got a very pleasant, unpretentious casual vibe that is very inviting for even those that are inexperienced wine drinkers. The staff are the kind that you’ll probably end up drinking with. If you’re a beginner, they’ll (with great pleasure) take you for a walk through the menu after you’ve told them your taste and preferences. The prices here are also very reasonable, which is another intentional feature that the crowd behind it have made so they get all kinds of characters coming in and enjoying wine. They know their wine lingo here, but when you don’t, they’re keen to explain.

Meanwhile, if you’re somewhat of a wine pro, you’ll love it here. Priding themselves on being wine taste pioneers (they have a soft spot for small wineries, especially), you’ll often find wine sommeliers and winemakers meeting here at one of the many tastings that make up an intense event schedule at Pub Klemo.

The focus is largely on France, and they go scouting for new winemakers there every year, but they do go beyond these borders. There are around 3000 wines always in stock in the wine bar, or in the store across the road, while there’s consistently 100 open wines that can be ordered by the glass.

To soak up all the quality alcohol going into your blood, the food is worth looking into, as well. Their Homemade pasta and soup are a specialty (and a delicious one at that), while there’s plenty of antipasto type stuff to choose from. The main message Pub Klemo communicates is: don’t be afraid of wine and the culture around it, and after one visit, they’ll have you hooked and walking out talking like a pro if you give them the chance. Oh, and did we mention that the cellar is below your feet.

We love… the maps on the tables – they work as a real discussion starter! But beware, after your 5th wine, you might start booking flights somewhere!

We recommend…keeping an eye on their website for details about wine tastings!

Good to know… the wine shop is across the road, and all kinds of wine can be picked up here (for store prices) until 12am

This corner spot is both a restaurant and a wine bar, and it sells itself well on both fronts. From its wooden floorboards the low arched roof, and the long and inviting marble bar, Enrico Panigl is a very charming place to sip at some top wine. A curated wine list includes Austrian and Italian drops that have obviously been put in there by somebody that loves and knows their grape juice. And the staff are in the know on the wines they stock, and speak about them as if they know the winemaker personally (which is highly likely).

The dinner menu also looks to offer up quality goods on Italian cuisine, with pastas, risotto and a few antipasti options in the mix. And the white table clothed dining room (with always some brilliant contemporary art on the walls) is a cosy and romantic setting to wine and dine. Plus, they have a beautiful and quiet garden on their neighbouring street during the warmer months.