The Best of Wine Tourism Award of the Great Wine Capitals is an annual award presented by the Great Wine Capitals Global Network. Once a year, wine producers and companies from the tourism, restaurant, and hospitality industries in the member regions compete for the award. First, the best are selected in a preliminary round at the national level; the winners then compete on the international stage. Each year, dedicated stakeholders are recognized for their outstanding achievements in various categories—ranging from „Art and Culture“ and „Hospitality“ to „Sustainable Wine Tourism.“.
Dinner for One in the Underworld
„The same procedure as every year, James!“ This line from the classic sketch „Dinner for One“ has been repeated over a thousand times since Valentine’s Day 2003 on the small basement stage at the Völker Event Restaurant recited. Various dialect actors, such as Hildegard Bachmann and Bernhard Mohr, perform the popular sketch „in the Rheinhessen dialect“ to the delight of the audience.
„We’ve had over 80,000 visitors since then!“ says head chef Ute Völker. The popular play really comes into its own in the unique atmosphere of the multi-story cellar labyrinth. Guests walk down ancient, narrow cellar passageways and descend the steps into the underworld: In addition to the city’s network of cellars, which stretches over 40 kilometers, „Oppenheimer Cellar Labyrinth“, the Völker family’s private wine cellar is a real gem. If the stairs are too steep for you, you can take the elevator down to the theater. The combination of culture and cuisine is a big hit: Many guests have enjoyed the entertaining performance followed by a delicious meal in the restaurant on multiple occasions.
The Discovery of the Cellar Vaults
„We uncovered many of the cellar rooms beneath our house ourselves,“ Josef Völker reports proudly. And it wasn’t just wine racks that came to light. The monastery vault is the only one of its kind north of the Alps—today, weddings are held in this underground space. Parts of the extensive cellar complex date back to the 13th century, while in other areas, mortar from Roman times was discovered. The fascinating cellar complex also features a surface well and the foundations of a former wooden tower. In the barrel cellar stand wooden barrels with carved wooden bottoms that were built in 1956 on the frozen Rhine.
A visit to the winding passageways is well worth it—guided tours of the historic cellars are available by appointment, including tours in English and French.
Birthplace of a Star Architect
It’s not just the underworld that’s steeped in history—the building at Krämerstraße 7 is also a historically significant site: Architect Paul Wallot was born here on June 26, 1841. He designed the much-admired Berlin Reichstag, which was completed in 1894. It was the first time that glass and iron were used in the impressive dome. The Völker family organized an exhibition about the famous Oppenheimer at the Rhineland-Palatinate State Representation in Berlin and commemorates the brilliant architect with photos and a bust in the restaurant.
Josef Völker’s father purchased the house in 1936 and ran a winery with a wine bar there. Josef Völker’s daughter, Susanne Nett (née Völker), was crowned German Wine Queen in 1998 and is a successful host of the series „Rezeptsucherin“ on SWR television.
Wine restaurant with fine dining
The family gave up the winery in the 1990s—the wine bar was transformed into a restaurant serving upscale farm-to-table cuisine. „I prepare premium home-style cooking here,“ says head chef Ute Völker modestly. However, dishes such as goat cheese au gratin on smoked beet carpaccio, pan-seared monkfish on pumpkin with pak choi, or chocolate mousse with kumquat sorbet are more reminiscent of gourmet cuisine.
Wines from select wineries in Rheinhessen and the Palatinate complement the lovingly prepared dishes. In the summer, guests can enjoy outdoor seating in the garden, right in the heart of Oppenheim’s Old Town.
The Restaurant Völker has been awarded the Great Wine Capitals Best of Wine Tourism Award 2026 in the „Art and Culture“ category for „an original concept with a unique connection to Rheinhessen“—according to the expert jury’s verdict.
