Wine Festival in the Palace Garden

Wine Festival in the Palace Garden — Münster's elegant early summer festival

When the sun shines longer over Münster's Palace Garden in the first half of May, Severin Romero and his team set up the white pagodas: From May 21st to 25th, 2026, the Wine Festival in the Palace Garden will take place, five days of wine tasting in one of Westphalia's most beautiful parks. This is the 3rd edition since the 2024 restart — the festival has a tradition dating back to the 1990s, was then paused for over a decade, and returned in 2024 under new management.

Curated Concept — No Market Stall Inflation

What sets Münster's wine festival apart from many other events: There is no open exhibitor registration. Instead of two dozen market stalls with arbitrary assortments, Trixi Bannert — an established wine merchant and sommelier from Münster — curates the entire selection of winemakers. Focus areas:

• Sustainable wineries from Germany, Austria, France, Italy
• Wine newcomers, fresh from ProWein Düsseldorf (International Wine Fair in March)
• Organic and biodynamic wines
• Small, personal winemakers with stories

This curated selection means that visitors can taste wines here that are not on the menu in normal Münster restaurants — many of the producers travel especially for the festival from their growing regions.

Atmosphere — White Pagodas, Illuminated Trees

The visual concept focuses on elegance: white pagodas are placed among the old trees of the Palace Garden, and in the evening, fairy lights and spotlights illuminate the treetops. The atmosphere is deliberately relaxed — no main stage, no Schlager music. Instead, quiet background music that puts the conversations between winemakers, sommeliers, and visitors in the foreground. A decision that makes the festival one of the few premium-oriented wine events in Westphalia.

Münster Gastronomy as a Companion

In addition to wine, there is a culinary program — small dishes that pair well with the wines. Various Münster restaurateurs are involved as partners, offering tapas, cheese platters, regional specialties, and small main courses. The combination of wine-drinking-and-eating is deliberately staged: a summer evening atmosphere that invites multi-hour visits.

Münster Palace Garden — The Baroque Park

The festival grounds, the Münster Palace Garden, are located between the Prince-Bishop's Palace (today the main building of the Westphalian Wilhelms University) and the Botanical Garden. The grounds date back to the 18th century and are among the most important baroque gardens in northwestern Germany. A particularly stylish setting for a wine festival — the old linden trees, the honeysuckle, the fountains, and the symmetrical axis make the pagoda setup an almost cinematic setting.

Severin Romero and "Münster verwöhnt"

The organizer is Severin Romero, locally known for the gastro series "Münster verwöhnt", which organizes gourmet events in the city several times a year. The Wine Festival in the Palace Garden is his largest open-air event and has become a permanent Münster early summer institution since its revival in 2024. Expected visitor numbers: several thousand over the five days.