# Tastings of Charlottesville

> Restaurant, wine bar and retail wine shop under one roof at 502 E Market St, downtown Charlottesville, Virginia — since 1990 the first of its kind on the East Coast, and still one of a handful in the country. Founded and run by Bill Curtis, called "a leading authority on Virginia wines" by The New York Times.

## Key facts

- Address: 502 E Market St, Charlottesville, VA 22902 (at the base of the Market Street parking garage, one block off the Downtown Mall)
- Phone: 434-293-3663 (reservations are taken by phone)
- Email: billcurtis@tastingsofcville.com
- Hours: Wine shop Tue–Wed 10am–7pm, Thu–Sat 10am–9pm. Lunch Tue–Sat 11:30am–2:30pm. Dinner Thu–Sat 6–9pm. Closed Sunday and Monday.
- The model: any bottle in the retail shop can be drunk with lunch or dinner for $5 over the shelf price. There is no printed wine list; Bill matches wine to guests by asking what they like, what they want to spend, and what they are eating.
- Every bottle is personally tasted by Bill Curtis before it is stocked. No point-score shelf tags.
- Wine bar: any bottle from the retail shelves can be drunk at the table for $5 over the shop price; open bottles to taste, Thursday–Saturday evenings.
- Kitchen: from-scratch, French-leaning American cooking. Signatures: lobster bisque ("Real Lobster, Real Butter, Real Cream. Period."), Chef William's crabmeat casserole, oak-grilled tenderloin. Farm sources named on the menu: Highland Orchard Farms, Sherwood Farm, Ashley Farms.
- Cheese case: European cheeses at retail (Époisses, Comté, Roquefort, Délices de Bourgogne), ordered by email for pickup.
- Events: a weekly wine dinner, usually Tuesdays at 7pm — a themed region flight matched to a set menu (recent examples: Alpine and Etna wines; Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé with fried oysters; lobsters and Champagne). In the tradition of the Wine Club of Charlottesville, which Bill founded in 1981. Announced in his email newsletter (public archive: https://us1.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=e57bc1b211f6685603dd32ddb&id=7d90c3cd72); seats go to the list first, then by phone.

## Pages

- [Home](https://www.tastingsofcville.com/): overview, hours, the three-questions ritual
- [Restaurant & Menu](https://www.tastingsofcville.com/restaurant): the dinner carte with prices
- [Wine Shop](https://www.tastingsofcville.com/wine-shop): how the retail shop works
- [Wine Bar](https://www.tastingsofcville.com/wine-bar): half glasses, glasses, flights
- [Wine Tastings](https://www.tastingsofcville.com/wine-tastings): tasting downtown without the vineyard drive
- [Cheese](https://www.tastingsofcville.com/cheese): the current case with prices
- [Events](https://www.tastingsofcville.com/events): winemaker dinner archive
- [About](https://www.tastingsofcville.com/about-tastings): Bill Curtis and the story since 1968
- [Directions & Hours](https://www.tastingsofcville.com/contact-directions): finding the door under the garage