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The more times I go to Tap & Cellar – and the more times I go to other bars that do similar things in other cities – the more fond of it I become. The location is off the beaten track in an industrial park, so it draws a selective crowd. The parking looks limited at first glance but there’s plenty all the way around the building. At busier times there’s usually a food truck parked in the parking lot, too. They also serve charcuterie inside, which is always very good. The revolving taps are great, there are always new beers to try and they’re well curated. No random selections here! The bartenders are happy to make recommendations and they usually have some information on the breweries, if you’re interested. You can try a few before you choose. The wine list is also solid, mostly California wines and all of them well selected. I love the decor and the atmosphere in here. It’s relaxed, with plenty of seating, high ceilings, and good lighting. There’s often live music, particularly later in the week in the evenings. The Valley Vines wine tastings have also been taking place here recently, monthly, on Sundays, and at $15 it’s worth the cost of entry. Definitely one of our best local bars.

New York Butcher Shoppe Menu with Prices 465 Highland Ave, Augusta

First I have to send a giant thank you to one of our Yelp community members (Ron F.) for telling me for months that I needed to make it out to the monthly wine pairing hosted here. I finally took his advice and I have no regrets from the evening. For anyone local, it can be found in the middle section of the Surrey Center, all the way at the far left end, across from Finch & Fifth. So parking and shops to check out are a plenty. The wine pairing event is after hours (7 pm) so you have the place to yourself and it is only $20 a person (as a guest). Now let me go ahead and mention that if you become a monthly member ($40) it includes this wine pairing event as well as a selected bottle of white and a bottle of red wine. Plus 10% off wine purchases. That pays for itself. Back to this event. You walk in and a Greeter is being served. Pace yourself here. There will be two small plates, a main entree, and a dessert served. All of these will be paired with a different wine. And don’t worry about your glass going empty. Their pours are heavy and the team is walking around with the bottle, making sure no glass goes dry. Separately, the dishes and wines were amazing. The pasta, meat, and baking skills were top notch. Everything was plated beautifully as well. The wines each had their own personality and made me mad at myself for not being a member. But the two of them together, pure joy to the palette. A bold Cab with a dense chocolate cake, that is a capstone pairing if I’ve ever seen one. I will point out that this is a deli by day. That means there are meats, side dishes, tomato pies, of course bottles of wine, and much more available for purchase. That also means there is very little seating. So plan to stand for the entire event (about two hours in all). But due to the nature of the group there and the curiosity to see everything there, you probably won’t even care about standing (especially around that third or fourth wine pairing). I am in love with this place and look forward to returning soon (aka, next month). Attend this event, go grab lunch one day, and stop by if you are needing a quality yet affordable bottle of wine.

Wine So Cru Menu with Prices 800 University Ave, Berkeley

LOVED my first time at Wine So Cru. I had high expectations given the reviews and pics, but it totally surpassed my expectations. Once through their doors, you’re immediately greeted with a modern and bright atmosphere and by their staff members. My 2 friends and I sat on 2 couches by the fireplace, which made me feel as if I was in someone’s fancy living room (decorated with a “Hello Fall” fit for the season). They offer an extensive list of wines and their staff is very knowledgeable. We got there at 5:15pm, which allowed us enough time for happy hour (till 6pm). It’s $2 off glasses of wine. Something I really appreciated was how our server asked us if we wanted to place another order right before 6 to take full advantage of their happy hour. How incredibly considerate! This doesn’t happen at most places. Plus, when we got water she kept checking in on us to refill our cups. So wonderful. There was plenty of seating available on a Thursday evening and it got busier as the night went on. I can’t wait to go back.

House of Wine – Menu with Prices – 53 Monroe Center St NW, Grand Rapids

Met a friend here for happy hour and had a great experience. House wines are $4/glass during happy hour. We’re pretty experienced wine drinkers, and the ones we tried were very good. I was also intrigued to see that you could try 1 oz samples of a large variety of wines, including several very expensive ones. This is the only place I know of in GR that lets you do that, and it definitely moved this place to the top of my list of spots to recommend to fellow wine-drinkers. We also had the hummus plate and the bruschetta. Both were delicious, and large enough portions for two to share easily. I esp loved that they provided plenty of veggies with the hummus, since my pet peeve is when you get a huge bowl of hummus and only a few veggies. Surprisingly, we were the only customers during happy hour. Since we were there to catch up after not seeing each other for several months, this was ideal. We were able to talk and actually hear each other, which is definitely not the case at a lot of the newer GR restaurants. I liked the variety of seating (we were in a couple of armchairs) and the laidback atmosphere. There’s also a patio and a retail store. This is my new favorite spot for a meet-up downtown.

Vintage Vino – Menu with Prices – 14 E Dakin Ave, Kissimmee

My favorite place to go for a flight of wine. John waited on us and was friendly, kind, and generous. I wanted to find a place with a great price for a flight of Wines and happy hour for my friends in downtown Kissimmee, FL and I found Vintage Vino online. I loved the service and two of the Wines. The Riesling and Peach Moscato wine were delightfully sweet, addictive, and yummy. My friends and I loved the Ambience. I adored the giant wine glasses and the fact he placed the bottle of wine by each glass. We each had three wine glasses of wine for each flight. The wine was ample too. $12 a flight unless it had more expensive Wines. Happy hour had $4 select Wines and beers. Dinner from nearby restaurants are served here – so convenient. The bathroom area required a punch in number password for Vintage Vino. Service was not the quickest but we managed to get our refills and food soon enough. The furniture and seating was very comfortable and inviting. I was very happy to come, relax, and chat here with friends! I will definitely come here again and again. My go see wine place in Kissimmee, FL!

Bistro A Vin – Menu with Prices – 40 Archdale Street corner of Market Street and, Archdale St, Charleston

The Atmosphere alone (you could be on a side street in Paris) is a great start. The dark wood, the Zinc bar and the relaxed mood all combine to make this a super choice for a nice glass of wine and some delicious and sophisticated plates. But it’s the food and the care that obviously goes into the presentation and preparation is what really makes this Bistro stand apart. The Smoked Salmon mini wraps with capers, the cheese/nuts/almonds and honey plates are fantastic and really compliment the wines. They are also serving US wines as well as Italian so the choices from White to Red to Pink are all up to you. (I saw a previous review mentioned only French wines, I guess that has changed?) And craft the beer on Tap as well and that came in handy for some friends. We recently arranged a private birthday party for a group of 30 and the owners did a great job with a varied and delicious array of food, pre-selected wines and of course the pastry from the shop next door made for a great dessert selection. I would recommend this place any time for evening drinks. But I’m telling you, this is a super venue for medium sized private events. And the owners and staff are more than eager to work with you on choices. We will do it again for the Christmas holidays! All loved it!

Margaret & Maxwell – A Wine Salon Menu with Prices 5 All Souls Crescent, Asheville

Wow. I dig this place a lot. Combining a very meticulously and carefully curated range of wines from around the world with a super cozy and intimate wine bar, Margaret & Maxwell could be my new go-to spot for wine – even though I’m a beer guy. They have a respectably wide range of well selected wines – from Austrian Gewurztraminers to Finger Lake Dessert Wines – you’ll find something you’ve never seen – and you can easily strike up a conversation with the owners who definitely know wine. On a recent visit, my wife and I grabbed a spot on the couch in the wine bar and ordered two glasses of wine and a meat and cheese plate – very reasonably priced at $12 for two amazing soft cheeses and mortadella served with honey and crackers to spread upon. Oh and we go to sample a couple of new wines as well. It’s clear that the proprietors know food and wine. My glass was a soft and velvety Pinot Noir from Oregon that was just delicious. The ambience of the wine bar – set back from the shop – is nicely mellow, dim lighting with a custom art-nouveau fashioned bar, a large velvety couch and chairs and various pictures and interesting things to look at – I felt like I could be in some funky cafe in Brussels. This would be a pretty nice place for a first date or ‘date night’ with your S.O. One of the owners was attending the wine bar and mentioned they were hosting a “3 course” wine tasting the next day so my wife and I were all in. The wine tasting featured three wine representatives who DID NOT skimp on quality or originality. I tried one of the best white wines I’ve had – an unassuming white bordeaux that I would never have known about. Oh and they splashed out with an $80 bottle of rose champagne (“Don’t mind if I do”) as well as an amazing Cabernet Franc from California. If they organize these regularly, count me in. We walked away with a bottle of the Cab Franc for dinner. I wish our local wine shop/bar were as cozy and well curated as this place. Tucked away down in Biltmore Village, it’s a bit of a trek for us, but we certainly know its worth it.

Lounge – Reno – Menu with Prices – 770 S Meadows Pkwy Suite 110, Reno

I’ve been to this location many times and as it turns out, this is my first review. I have to be honest, that’s what you expect, as do I. I travel around a bit and often bring my own wine, and happily pay a corkage fee, no matter the rate. It’s a win-win in my opinion. I was surprised to learn that the owner actually dislikes when folks bring their own wine in. I get it, most of the other restaurants/ wine bars probably don’t like it either but isn’t that what the corkage fee is for?? I have a particular brand I favor along with being part of a wine club… anyway if you don’t want to accept bringing your own wine in, just say so up front rather than “surprising” your guests with your “feelings”. The owner shared with me they “don’t like it when people bring in their own wine”. Point taken. I left a 20% tip, ordered the most expensive item on the menu and was very pleasant. However it is unlikely that I will return to this venue. There are plenty of other places where I can enjoy my wine, pay a fair price, and not be bothered about it. Good day to you!

Emery, Autograph Collection – Menu with Prices – 215 S 4th St, Minneapolis

This remodel was only opened 4 days before our arrival according to one of the managers. This appeared to be correct as everything was in very nice condition, from the lobby furnishings and hotel carpeting to the condition of the room. There was a very refreshing and comfortable ambiance to the whole lobby, restaurant and lounging area. The previous bank architecture of marble columns and vaulted ceilings were in contrast to the wooden furniture and see through fireplace in the lounge area. The Spyhouse coffee shop was nestled in the back of the lobby area surrounded by an area five times the size of your local Starbucks with intimate seating areas, the see through fireplace and several cushions throughout. The bar area and restaurant were also very clean and offered an interesting offering of cocktails and wines. Speaking of wines, the manager showed us one of the conference rooms which used to be a vault complete with the original doors with no serves as a wine storage. Only a couple detractors were: 1) the pillows our room. The bed was extremely comfortable; however, the pillows were so thick they gave both of us very stiff necks. In their defense, we did not ask for any other pillows so were not sure if they were available. 2) There was no on site parking, nor reasonable parking service/valet. The cars were parked a block or so away so retrieval took a while (15 minutes calling ahead) and it was expensive (at least by my standards) at $45 a night. Nonetheless, it is located in downtown Minneapolis, close to many attractions, such as U.S. Bank stadium and numerous places to eat. All in all, I did enjoy our stay and would recommend this hotel to anyone.

Holme Estate Cellars – Menu with Prices – 216 N Coast Hwy, Oceanside

I’m not the biggest wine drinker but I do appreciate good wine and they have that here at Holmes. I was very surprised to see a wine tasting room in Oceanside. So when I heard about it I had to try it out. They’re not in a big location and I kind of like that because you get that personal touch. Scott who is the man is very helpful, very knowledgeable about the wines and doesn’t look down on you because you don’t know your wines. I’ve been here twice now and each time I really enjoyed myself. The tasting room is very well put together and they have a wonderful lounge area as soon as you walk in the front door. They offer flights, tastings, glasses of wines and of course bottles. A friend of mine bought a bottle of Rosé which is my favorite wine here at Holmes. I can’t wait to come back because the wine is great, Scott is excellent at his job and the prices aren’t bad at all. This just may become my spot!

Tailfeather – Menu with Prices – 581 Myrtle Ave, Brooklyn

Tailfeather is a wonderland for people who appreciate natural wines and craft beers. I’m fairly new to natural wines but after a few months of tastings and glasses and bottles I can say that it’s nearly ruined me for traditionally processed wines. The owner, Autumn, has lovingly crafted an extensive selection of wines, many by the glass, that’s sure to please connoisseurs as well as newbies like myself. I love how she highlights Women Winemakers! The space has an uber cool, unique style that balances sleek minimalism with flashes of art deco glam (who knew a gold foil print wallpaper could be subtle?). It’s spacious with plenty of seating at the bar, high top tables and an outside patio for some prime people watching. The staff are always upbeat and responsive without being pushy or the slightest bit snobby. If you’re lucky and catch Autumn there she loves to talk about the stories behind the wines and give you tastings of things you wouldn’t have ever thought of trying. So happy to have them in the neighborhood!

Topping & Legnon Winery and Tasting Room – Menu with Prices – 1301 Cleveland Ave, Santa Rosa

We actually came here by accident when we were on our way to the winery next door, but it ended up being the best accident ever! We had such a great server, who was very friendly and relaxed, and we got to try 6 different wines over the course of an hour and a half. My favorites were the cabernet franc and the pinot noir, followed by the syrah. We came on a mild summer day in August where it was just the perfect temperature outside so we sat under some trees on their patio and slowly sipped our wine. They have a great groupon available – $24 for wine tasting for 2 plus souvenir glasses and a bottle of rose or a $24 voucher. Their great service plus delicious wine means 5 stars!!

Ed Hyder’s Mediterranean Marketplace – Menu with Prices – 408 Pleasant St, Worcester

A lot of wine, cheese, spices, and knowledge about food packed into this small store. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and the prices are better than I expected. I went to a wine tasting here on a Saturday and the gentleman explaining the wines knew so much more about wine than anyone in our group. We learned so much, and tried (and then bought many different wines that we wouldn’t have discovered had we not gone to Ed Hyder’s that afternoon.