The Wine Bar · Pouring Thu–Sat
pull any bottle off the rack for five dollars over retail
502 E Market St · evenings 6–9 · lunch service Tue–Sat · 434-293-3663
The room, mid-service. Burgundy maps on the wall, racks between the tables.
How the bar works
Before Charlottesville had wine bars, it had this one. The house has poured by the half glass, glass and flight since 1990, on the theory that comparison is the fastest teacher a palate can hire.
“Tucked away from the hoi polloi, have a glass or two from the dozens of open bottles or grab a bottle off the rack and enjoy it for a small corkage.”
The smartest pour in town. Taste twice as widely for the same money.
What's open changes with the week, Virginia whites to White Burgundy. Ask what's pouring; the newsletter hears first.
Half glasses served together, left to right, in list order. Or name your own three and the bar will assemble and price it.
Browse the shop, pull anything, and it is served at your table for five dollars over the full retail price. A $50 bottle is a $55 bottle.
From the archive
The August 2000 list ran ten sections and 125 wines by the glass, and introduced itself like this: “It is a list to have fun with, not to be intimidated by.” The named flights below are quoted from it verbatim. The list still changes weekly; the newsletter announces it.
Get the weekly list →Bill’s, Tom’s & Gordon’s Flights
as printed on the wines-by-the-glass list, August 2000
Bill’s Flight
“From one side of the pond to the other, and back again.”
Tom’s Favorites
“Chardonnay? Chardonnay? Too HOT for Chardonnay, Mon!”
Gordon’s Trio
“We finally get him home, and he’s still all over the map!”
“And remember, these are only our suggestions. Feel free to pick out your own flight and we will assemble it and price it accordingly.”
The bar shares its kitchen with the restaurant, its shelves with the shop, and its calendar with the winemaker dinners. Reserve by phone, or walk down the ramp and see what is open tonight.
Reserve · Call 434-293-3663