What sounds like a small wine bar or your neighbor’s wine cellar is one of the largest and most successful online wine merchants in Germany.
Founded by Silke Spruch and her husband Wolfgang 25 years ago, it started out as a living room store with a small online store – which grew rapidly in the years that followed. With more than fifty employees and its own logistics, the company has developed into a successful e-commerce company.
The online market has cooled significantly in the last three years following the gold-rush atmosphere during the pandemic, and many online retailers have become disillusioned.
The challenges in the “online” sales channel are high and the general conditions – as in the entire wine industry – have become difficult.
Silke’s wine cellar is well equipped in these challenging times:
- an extensive range of more than 1,500 wines
- exclusive wines, branded wines and top award-winning wines
- our own highly professional logistics, which guarantee reliable deliveries
and perhaps the most important thing:
- a highly skilled team of employees who – and I was able to experience this myself in several seminars with you – work together closely and personally – and have fun together at the same time!
This is no coincidence. Success has a name.
Dear Katja, you have been managing Silke’s wine cellar for 6 years now – initially as a dual manager, and for the last two years even alone. You have formed a team that sticks together, that is successful, that has fun.
You are part of the team, lead with flat hierarchies and see yourself more as a player coach than a team boss. In my view, this is a very important building block for success! Because in the end, it’s always the people who matter.
The founding of meravino was a major step towards better reaching the young target group – with a different online presence, different wines and different communication.
That too – a great success.
At this point, I would also like to mention – and welcome – Henner Arning , who successfully manages wine purchasing as the strategic head. Certainly another important building block in your success.
Dear Katja, dear Henner,
You have been “Best Wine Merchant of the Year” 12 times so far – today you are the 13th time!
Congratulations on being named Online Retailer of the Year 2026!