8 Wine Lists We Love

With so much emphasis on craft cocktails these days and with breweries popular throughout town, it’s refreshing, but rare, to stumble upon an impressive wine list. While the majority of casual diners probably don’t choose a restaurant based on the wine menu and even fine diners would likely not revolve date night around the best of the bottle list, once you’ve had an immaculate wine pairing there’s no going back. It doesn’t have to be top-shelf or the most expensive label, but it’s amazing what a well-matched pairing can do to elevate, even change, a meal.

Here are eight restaurants throughout greater Nashville to whet your palate, ranging from natural-focused to grower Champagne and even a list that flaunts half off some very fine wines for those ready to completely dive in.

EPICE

This authentic, family-owned Lebanese bistro in the heart of 12 South not only delights with its mezze-style menu but also its unique wines, sourced from small producers. Alongside the varieties from recognizable wine-growing regions are lesser known grapes from the likes of Armenia, Macedonia and of course, Lebanon. If you’re looking for a real treat, opt for the manager’s selection where the wines featured, both by the glass and bottle, are ever-rotating but always memorable.

JOSEPHINE

Chef Andy Little’s thoughtful cuisine, where Pennsylvania Dutch roots meets Southern hospitality, deserves thoughtful pairings. Manager and sommelier Karen Van Guilder Little ensures this with a seasonal features list that highlights the best wines to sip from summer to spring as well as a lovely selection of German varieties, like Spätburgunder (pinot noir), which Guilder Little says she particularly loves. “Especially the Dr. Heger Ihringer Winklerberg Spätburgunder Baden 2016... not enough people are talking about German reds,” she says.

PELICAN & PIG

If you’re in the mood to get funky, look no further than Pelican & Pig’s wine list. There’s only about two dozen options between bubbles, white, rosé and orange but they’re all of outstanding quality from natural farming techniques – and you likely won’t find them elsewhere around here. Standouts include the organic Puro malbec rosé from Cahors, France and Birichino Pet Nat sparkling pinot noir from Monterey County.

AUDREY

The ever-changing hyper-local dishes may keep diners on their toes, but the 40-plus-page wine book is consistent and noteworthy. The list spans all the key wine regions from Languedoc, France to Liguria, Italy, and the Willamette Valley to Chile. The Champagne list is sizable, featuring many grower Champagnes (grown, vinified and aged by a specific grape grower), as is the large format selection, covering sparklers, Chardonnay and a variety of Napa and French reds.

LOCKELAND TABLE

Chef Hal Holden-Bache is all about adding a contemporary and international flare to Nashville favorites, so it’s no wonder that their wine list is just as diverse. The limited but distinct list includes many familiar wine regions but prioritizes smaller vineyards. Almost every pour listed is available by both the glass and the bottle, encouraging guests to try a few different styles.

LOU NASHVILLE

Inspired by a traditional Parisian cafe, Lou Nashville offers a wine list to match. Renowned for their rotating natural wine selection, this list will broaden your horizons and open your mind to the often stigmatized category of natty wine.

CORK & COW

A weighty book full of classics and cult producers (think Louis Latour, Château Lassègue, Opus One and Hall), could at first prove overwhelming, but the sommeliers on staff are enthusiastic to guide you to the perfect sip. Visit on a Sunday when the entire list is half-price (or $50 off bottles over $100) to snag a deal on otherwise splurge-worthy wines.

WILD GINGER

While the wine list reads pretty standard, featuring crowd pleasers like Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay and Meiomi pinot noir, it’s the sake list that grabs our attention. The Japanese rice wine is a category of its own but undoubtedly the perfect pairing for Wild Ginger’s Asian fusion menu. There are some 10 to choose from, including hot sake and sparkling nigori.