# Barcelona Wine Bar

> Barcelona Wine Bar is a U.S. restaurant group that turns Spanish tapas, chef-led seasonal menus, and an unusually deep wine program into a lively neighborhood-night-out format. Founded by Andy Pforzheimer and Sasa Mahr-Batuz, it has grown from a 38-seat Connecticut wine bar into 24 locations while preserving local executive-chef autonomy, a discovery-oriented list of roughly 500 wines, private events, gift cards, merchandise, and wine education.

- **Founded:** 1995
- **Headquarters:** Denver, United States
- **Founders:** Andy Pforzheimer (Co-founder; operations and culinary lead), Sasa Mahr-Batuz (Co-founder; creative lead)
- **Team size:** Approximately 660 employees
- **Products:** Spanish and Mediterranean tapas dining, Wine program, Private events, Gift cards and merchandise, Vinoteca online wine store
- **Notable:** Grew from a 38-seat Connecticut wine bar into 24 currently listed U.S. locations., Won The World of Fine Wine's World's Best Organic Wine List in 2023., Won The World of Fine Wine's North America's Best Value Wine List in 2024.

## Products & services

- **Spanish and Mediterranean tapas dining** — Chef-driven, changing menus of rustic small plates, paella, charcuterie and seasonal dishes inspired by Spain and the Mediterranean.
- **Wine program** — Approximately 500 selections across more than 100 regions, with 40-plus wines by the glass, 3-ounce and 6-ounce pours, custom flights, and an emphasis on Spain, South America, small producers and sustainable methods.
- **Private events** — Hospitality-led event planning for intimate gatherings, business dinners, celebrations and full restaurant buyouts.
- **Gift cards and merchandise** — Digital and physical gift cards plus branded glassware, apparel and other merchandise sold online.
- **Vinoteca online wine store** — An affiliated e-commerce storefront for wine discovery and purchasing.
- **Wine education** — Consumer education through classes and editorial content, supported internally by employee wine-education reimbursement.

## Achievements

- Grew from a 38-seat Connecticut wine bar into 24 currently listed U.S. locations.
- Won The World of Fine Wine's World's Best Organic Wine List in 2023.
- Won The World of Fine Wine's North America's Best Value Wine List in 2024.
- Won The World of Fine Wine's North America's Best Organic Wine List in 2025 and 2026.
- Earned its first Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2007 and first Best of Award of Excellence in 2012; the company says all eligible locations now hold the higher honor.
- Built a wine list of approximately 500 selections spanning more than 100 regions, with 40-plus wines by the glass.
- Barcelona generated $60.2 million in 2017 sales, $14.2 million in restaurant-level EBITDA and a 23.6% restaurant-level margin before Barteca's 2018 sale.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Barcelona's wine program won North America's Best Organic Wine List for a second consecutive year, according to the company's wine-program page.
- **2026-04** — The company highlighted the design of its recently opened Delray Beach restaurant, inspired by Lustau's Andalusian sherry bodega and integrated with Sundy Village.
- **2026-01** — Barcelona Wine Bar opened in downtown Delray Beach, Florida, adding its 24th currently listed location and third in the state.
- **2025-03** — Co-founder Andy Pforzheimer discussed the brand's founding, division of creative and operating roles, site selection and restaurant scaling in a long-form video interview.

## Links

- Website: https://barcelonawinebar.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/barcelona-wine-bar
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/barcelonawineba
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barcelonawinebar/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barcelonawinebar/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/barcelona-wine-bar
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-13