Cantine Sant’Ambroeus

Situated on a leafy stretch of Hufelandstrasse in Prenzlauerberg, Cantine Sant’Ambroeus is a small and simple but passionately run wine bar and bottle store, specialising in biodynamic Italian wine. It is the perfect place to stop off at in the evening, to sit at an outdoor table on the wide pavement and have Marco — the knowledgable and enthusiastic owner — talk you through the possibilities of wines by the glass.
Marco is very happy to talk to you — in German, in English or in Italian — about your tastes in wine. White, rosé, or red? Fruity or more minerally? Light or dense? A safe choice or an interesting one? And once you start the conversation he does not hesitate to pull out unopened bottles for you to try. Last night we said he needn’t do that for us a second time but, grinning, he replied «Wine is for opening. It is not for sitting in the bottle.» And so we drank an unusual and delicious orange wine from Sardinia, sherry-​like in its elegance with some lovely toffeeish high notes.
Prices are very reasonable with most wines coming in around 5 Euro. A breadboard of well chosen cheese and cured meats completed the scene and we left with a bottle of the orange wine to go and plans to return as soon as possible.