by the eu professional drinkers
Although wine bars aren’t the usual haunt for us professional drinkers, because wine hangovers are the worst, the topic of “culture” made us think of sticking our noses in some fine wine glasses. Given the number of wine bars that are springing up, we thought it would be good to bring a sharpened eye and a smart ass to the cellars around town and deliver the dry and bitter to you so that if you decide to try to really impress someone with your knowledge and experience when it comes to fine wines, you can at least fake it. On the other hand, if you are a wine drinker who is looking for a good place to sip, these are some of the most notable wine bars in town. We didn’t go to them all (we are saving The Wine Cellar, The Grape and some others for a future issue) we did get to some good ones in the Riverside and San Marco area.
Location: Prudential and Hendricks in San Marco/Southbank
Type: Wine Bar with full dinner menu
Serving: An outstanding selection of exquisite and fine wines.
Amenities: Covered patio seating.
Drink Specials: Tuesday through Saturday, from 5 pm to 8 pm, a free bottle of wine with dinner for two.
Our server Frank was more knowledgeable about the wines than most servers at other wine bars. He suggested the 2004 Carpe Diem Edna Valley wine at $16 a glass as a red and the 2005 Spann Vineyard California Chardonnay for $11 a glass as the white, and these were superb selections. The wines on their menu are categorized by region and you can find Austrian wines from $21 per bottle or a 1995 Bordeaux for $3,400. They sometimes feature live jazz, but every time I’ve been there, they’ve had classic rock on the stereo. This is easily the most fancy wine bar to ever play Lynyrd Skynyrd on the overhead system. But their entrees are out of this world, so don’t hesitate to put this place at the top of your list when you want excellent food at a reasonable price in a wine bar atmosphere.
–Johnny St. Thomas
Address or Directions: 2012 San Marco Boulevard, in San Marco Square
Type of Place: Wine and Tapas Bar
Serving: Eighty wines by the glass and even more by the bottle, tapas and bottled import brews.
Amenities: Knowledgeable and courteous staff willing to answer any questions, great location, covered outside seating.
Drink Specials: Weekly wine tasting every Thursday from 6 to 8 pm
Located in the heart of San Marco square, this quaint little wine bar is one of those not-so-hidden gems that has remained very close to my heart. From the midnight champagne toast of my twenty first birthday, to the late night impromptu visits that start with sobriety but ultimately end up in the ever familiar path of memory lane with family and friends, this place is special. With a five-star staff and menu that make it almost impossible to leave, take advantage of my experience and make some memories of your own. The Grotto boasts an impressive wine list and now serves eighty wines by the glass. Unsure of what to try? Stop by on any Thursday night from six until eight pm and experience their weekly tastings featuring wines from all over the world. You’ll be up to your eyeballs in yuppies, but it will be worth it. I like to treat it like a sport. Yuppie hunting Steve Irwin style. Crikey! If the “San Marco Old Money Scene” is not your bag, show up the last Saturday of every month and witness the “awesomeness” that is “Last Saturdays.” Clever name, eh? It features a more sophisticated pairing of wines along with down tempo experimental jams with DJ Catharsis and Brian V. I’ve poked my head in there from time to time. More shaken, less stirred. If you get this in time, meet me there for the “Summer Champagne Party” tonight.
–Christina Wagner
Location: Corner of Park and Dancy in Riverside
Type: French Restaurant and Wine Bar
Serving: Fine wines and a terrific selection of imported draft beers and bottled microbrews.
Amenities: Outstanding bathrooms.
Drink Specials: Half price bottles of wine every Tuesday and Wednesday throughout the summer.
It’s difficult to report on wine bars. Pretention is usually part of the experience at a wine bar. Crush is primarily a French restaurant, but it started as a wine bar by the original owners and chef of the place. Now it is seriously French cuisine. It is expensive, but at $36 to $350 a bottle, it is exactly what you would expect from a casual/high-end restaurant. The server suggested the 2005 Hahn Estates California Meritage, which was delicious and only $9 a glass, and the white 2005 Dr. Burklin-Wolf German dry Reisling, which was only $8 a glass. They also have Spaten, Maudite, Kronenbourg 1664, and Tucher Weizen on draft. Glasses of wine range from $8 per glass to $14 per glass.
–Johnny St. Thomas
Address or Directions: 1515 Prudential Drive, next to the Chart House.
Type of Place: Wine Bar and Restaurant
Serving: An overwhelming selection of wine, brews in the bottle and on tap, full menu.
Amenities: You get to freaking pour your own freaking wine!
Drink Specials: Aww shucks. You’re special enough!
So, everyone and their mother has been trying to get me out of the house (Starlight) to check out this new place. Had I known what I know now, I would have been there much sooner. This place is truly like no other. Located right off of Prudential in historic San Marco, this little jazzy joint is every wine rookie’s dream. First you purchase a card, where you can put as little or as much money on it as you choose, then you insert the card into a machine and choose which wine you’d like to try whether it’s a taste, half glass, or full. Brilliant! No more harassing the bartender, no more settling for wines you “kinda” like, just charge up your card and float around like a kid in a candy store. There are eight machines with eight bottles each and they even scroll through the prices for you. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and are willing and ready to answer any questions you have, there are even books lying around with everything you might want to learn about your new favorite wine. They have a full menu, serving up salads, sandwiches, desserts and gourmet flatbread pizzas. Stop by on a Sunday to catch live DJ sets and try the Rosenblum Paso Robles. It’s tasty.
–Christina Wagner
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EU Critic’s Choice Awards
