Wonderful Wine Bars

words by > Nancy Davidson

Grape

EXPECTATIONS

As Americans’ passion for wine has grown, so has the nation’s production of fermented fruit juice. Today, wine is bottled in all 50 states (though not always made from grapes). To satisfy this enthusiasm, wine bars are cropping up all over the country. Here are 20 of our favorites.

{1} New York:

Monday Room

Though it looks more like a lounge than a wine bar—Monday Room (www.themondayroom.com) doesn’t even have a bar—the jewel-box of a room lets you feel like you’re relaxing in your own living room, albeit one in which your own private wine steward makes recommendations from a list of 60 wines offered by the half glass, glass, half bottle or bottle, paired with small tastes of inventive cuisine. Wine flights offer a chance to compare and contrast wines of the same varietal or from the same region or winemaker. The idea behind the Monday Room is to capture the feeling of experimentation and exploration that food and wine professionals enjoy on their day off.

{2} Las Vegas:

Onda

An off-shoot of the Onda Restaurant at the Mirage in Las Vegas, the new Onda Wine Lounge (www.mirage.com) is a sleek wine bar with strong Italian influences. In addition to wines by the glass, bottle or flight, Onda also offers cases, to be shipped to any destination. An excellent selection of cheeses (sweet or spicy Italian gorgonzola, French morbier, Spanish manchego) and cured meats (soppressata, duck prosciutto) complement the wine selections.

{3} San Francisco:

CAV

Intelligent but not intimidating, educative but not preachy, sophisticated without being stuffy, CAV Wine Bar (www.cavwinebar.com) is the pick of in-the-know San Fran oenophiles. Wine director Pamela
S. Busch takes a playful approach, encouraging all to enter with “open palates,” a willingness to try wines from far-flung locales: from Long Island to California, South Africa to Croatia and Turkey, as well as Australia, Spain, Italy and France. The adventure is enhanced with a menu of small bites, wine friendly entrees (available in small portions), charcuterie, cheese and salami.

{4} Tampa:

Charlie’s Wine Cellar and Wine Bar

Just upstairs from Charlie’s Wine Cellar (the 1500 bottle retail store), 40 lucky people can vye for seats in Charlie’s Wine Bar (www.charlieswine.com)—a loft-style space with candlelit tables and a dark wood bar. Choose from a list of 60 wines by the glass while snacking on patés, cheese or chocolate. Wine Therapy Fridays, meant to be both fun and educational, might include sit-down events with tapas and regional wines, or parties where you can mix and mingle while tasting a selection of boutique wines with complimentary snacks.

{5} Atlantic City:

Ombra

Underground at the Borgata Hotel and Casino (www.theborgata.com) lurks a sophisticated Italian wine bar, Ombra.

The name is Italian for shadow, but it’s a bright spot in Atlantic City. The menu offers several flights of wine, each of which comes with three 3-oz pours on a rotating silver rack, stickers that correspond to the wine label and a humorous, postcard-sized questionnaire that helps guide you through your tasting.

{6} Minneapolis:

Bev’s Wine Bar

Bev’s Wine Bar (612-337-0102) is a candlelit boite with exposed brick walls and a great view of the Minneapolis skyline. A large selection of modestly priced wines and a dedicated, knowledgeable staff make this the perfect spot for the novice taster.

In addition to the wine, a good selection of microbrews is available for the beer connoisseur. Located in the Warehouse District, this hidden gem is the perfect spot for a romantic evening out.

{7} Indianapolis:

D’vine

No matter what your poison of choice—red, white, bubbly or sticky and sweet—D’vine (www.dvineawinebar.com) covers the gamut with Old and New World sparkling wines from Spain, Italy and California; an extensive list of reds and whites from around the world; an impressive list of ports, ice wines and dessert wines; and special suggestions by the glass. Flights are organized by grape or to your taste, any of which can be paired with small plates from the tapas menu.

{8} Chicago:

Eno

Wine, cheese and chocolate: it’s a hedonist’s dream come true. At Eno (www.enowinerooms.com), the new wine bar at the InterContinental Hotel on the Magnificent Mile, a knowledgeable staff guides you to ideal pairings of wine with cheese or chocolate, choosing from a selection of 500 world varietals. There are 35 domestic and imported cheeses and a menu of hand-crafted local chocolates in single servings, all also available in tasting flights. The cozy space is sumptuous and elegant, decorated in hues of chocolate and wine with curvy communal tables, leather stools and a marble and rosewood bar. Wine, cheese and chocolates are available to-go from the retail shop, too.

{9} Baltimore:

The Wine Market

The brainchild of former wine distributor Christopher Spann, the Wine Market (www.the-wine-market.com) is housed in a renovated warehouse space in the Locust Point neighborhood of Baltimore. The venue is part wine shop (in the front) and part wine bar and café (in the back). The bar boasts 30 wines by the glass, but any of the shop’s 900 bottles can be served in the café, as long as you are willing to pay a small corkage fee.

{10} Dallas:

Crú

With its high, barrel-vaulted ceilings and walls papered in blowups of wine labels, Crú (www.cruawinebar.com), winner of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2004, is a Dallas favorite for sipping vino. A selection of 300 bottles is offered—50 by the glass or flight, including themed wine flights such as Spectacular Sauvignon Blanc, Charming Chardonnays, Classic Champagnes, California Cabs, Magnificent Merlots and Sexy Reds.

{11}Atlanta:

The Grape

From the concord purple seats to the 10 color-coded categories (divided by taste from light and fruity whites to full-bodied “seductive” reds, sweet, sparkling and special occasion wines), the concept of The Grape franchise (www.yourgrape.com) is not subtle: Wine is fun and tastes good.

{12} Houston:

Cova

The wines at Cova (www.covawines.com com)—a wine bar, retail store and restaurant in one—are hand-selected by owner Monsterville Horton IV, a wine educator with vast knowledge and an enthusiasm to share it. The list includes many allocated wines (wines that are in short supply, high demand and are not generally available to the public). A menu of 10 flights includes “Under the Tuscan Sun,” a selection of three Brunello di Montalicino wines, and “Bubbles,” a selection of Spanish cava, Italian prosecco and French champagne, all priced lower than if you ordered three separate tastes.

{13} Los Angeles:

Vertical Wine Bistro

Old Town Pasadena’s Vertical Wine Bistro (www.verticalwinebistro.com) is a wine destination that everyone can enjoy, no matter what their experience level. The 400-bottle wine list, with 100 by the glass and 27 different flights, features wines from all over the world, including unusual and hard-to-find varietals. Dishes from the menu can easily be paired with wines. The flight menu includes detailed descriptions and a place to write your own impressions, a record you can take home or keep on file at the wine bar for future reference.

{14} Chapel Hill:

West End Wine Bar

West End Wine Bar (www.westendwinebar.com ) has more than 100 wines from all over the world by the glass, priced from $4 to $150 a glass (all available in flights). The hand-tiled mosaic bar, cushy couches and armchairs, and wine-friendly menu help create the perfect tasting experience. And if that’s not enough, there’s an expansive outdoor rooftop patio, a private club (with pool tables) in the cellar and live music on occasion.

{15} Denver:

The Village Cork

Whether it’s for a romantic date night or girls’ night out, Washington Park’s Village Cork (www.villagecork.com) is the perfect comfy-casual intimate place to slow down and enjoy life. Recommended wines include Aussie reds Layer Cake Shiraz from Barossa Valley and Devil’s Corner Pinot Noir from Tasmania. Wines are thoughtfully paired with artisanal cheeses from around the world and other small bites.

{16} New Orleans:

Tommy’s Wine Bar

Restaurateur Tommy Andrade of Tommy’s Cuisine recently opened Tommy’s Wine Bar (www.tommycuisine. com) next door to his restaurant in the Warehouse District. With its long marble bar, leather sofas, soft lighting and piano music, it’s a low-key place in a city known for its loud partying. There are 130 wines available by the bottle and 14 by the glass, along with cheese, patés and Tommy’s Creole-Italian
cuisine.

{17} Washington,DC:

Bar Pilar

Recently revamped, Bar Pilar (www.barpilar.com) has been made over into a European-style wine bar that’s attracting a young, hip crowd. But it’s kept its name, inspired by Hemingway’s fishing boat, and its nautical décor, including boating paraphernalia and sailing lanterns. But the focus is now on pairing Mediterranean small bites—crudo (raw seafood), fava beans with mint, grilled clams, crispy quail—with a changing selection of wines. Sample an array of mini-desserts ($3 each) with port or dessert wines by the glass.

{18} Phoenix:

Kazimierz

Wooden wine casks, burgundy sofas and candlelight conspire to give Kazimierz (www.kazbar.net) the feel of a European wine cave, but the wines are from all over the world—red table wines from Portugal, rare blends from Lebanon and dessert wines from Arizona. The Wine Spectator-acclaimed 100+ page wine list is arranged by color and price, but owner and self-proclaimed wine enthusiast Peter Kasperski recommends ordering by the flight so you can sample several types of wine.

{19} Boston:

Les Zygomates

It shouldn’t be too surprising that Les Zygomates (www.winebar.com), an intimate South Street wine bar with a zinc bar, red booths, exposed brick walls and nightly jazz, feels authentically Parisian: it’s owned by a French chef alum of the popular bistro by the same name in Paris. This award-winning bar has a great list of inexpensive wines by the bottle and glass. The wine list changes weekly, and there are special tasting events on Tuesday nights.

{20} Pittsburgh:

Prelude

Even though there are only six seats at the Prelude wine bar, located in the historic Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel (www.marriott.com), you can choose from more than 50 different varietals. In this intimate nook within the grand marble and mosaic lobby, you’ll receive special attention from the house sommelier.