The Greatest Wine Bars in Philadelphia

Outdoors of Mural Metropolis Cellars, pink brick row homes exchange rolling inexperienced vineyards. At the back of the transformed auto physique storage in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood, rosé and skin-contact Pinot Gris are growing old in hulking metal tanks whereas up entrance, the bar buzzes with locals sipping glasses of plum-colored pét-nat and pale gold Sauvignon Blanc made with Pennsylvania grapes. Embellished with classic leather-based couches and up to date neon chandeliers, town’s first impartial city vineyard feels cool however unstuffy, making wine that’s spirited however severe. It’s a part of a brand new period for Philly wine. 

Philadelphia’s wine panorama had lengthy lagged behind its celebrated eating places, held again by a tangle of state restrictions and pink tape. Restaurant and bar liquor licenses can price upward of $200,000, and state-run wine retailers flood town with a sea of the identical uninspired bottles. The end result? BYOBs have proliferated; restaurant wine lists have languished. 

Up to now a number of years, although, thanks to some small however impactful tweaks within the legal guidelines — and extra importantly, a rising crop of dynamic winemakers, sommeliers, and next-generation drinkers clamoring for one thing higher — a flourishing wine scene has taken root. 

“Folks come from out of city and are shocked now we have a wine scene,” says D’Onna Stubblefield, common supervisor and beverage director at Bloomsday Cafe. “It’s just a little bit extra adventurous and impartial — it goes together with our underdog spirit.”

Philadelphia wine bars to go to

Mural Metropolis Cellars

Homeowners Francesca Galarus and Nicholas Ducos choose the perfect grapes from farms inside a 300-mile radius of their vineyard, which winemaker Ducos highlights in punchy pét-nats and juicy, barrel-aged Chambourcins. On the wine bar, you may pair your Mural Metropolis Cellars pour with a cheeseboard from close by Perrystead Dairy. 

Superfolie 

Operator Chloé Grigri channels the spirit of her favourite French haunts; she opened The Good King Tavern in Philly in 2013, bar à vins Le Caveau in 2019, and Superfolie simply final 12 months. She runs the tiny, low-lit wine bar along with her husband, Vincent Stipo, slinging plates of shaved Comté and smoked mussel tartines alongside Loire Valley Chenin Blanc and electrical orange Sonoma Zin.

A.Kitchen

Restaurateur Ellen Yin was a pioneer in Philly’s pure wine scene, and these days, her all-day Rittenhouse Sq. restaurant, A.Kitchen, is dwelling to town’s most intensive bottle assortment. Wine director Frank Kinyon oversees the inventory of 450 labels, which incorporates native makers like Camuna Cellars and uncommon gems from the Loire Valley’s Les Capriades.

Bloomsday Cafe

At this all-day café and bottle store on historic Head Home Sq., beverage director D’Onna Stubblefield needs that can assist you discover what you’re keen on and have enjoyable doing it. Bloomsday Cafe pours are available as little as three ounces, which inspires extra sampling of Spanish rosé, South African Pinot Noir, and the crushable pink from Mural Metropolis Cellars.

Jet Wine Bar

Many years in the past, whereas engaged on far-flung excavations, archaeologist Jill Weber uncovered an appreciation for wine, and he or she’s been championing the world’s unsung wine areas again dwelling in Philly since. In Jet Wine Bar’s shaded backyard, pattern wines by the glass from Turkey, Bulgaria, and Slovenia.

Tulip Pasta & Wine Bar

Tulip is technically a tasting room working as a satellite tv for pc of Wayvine vineyard, which is situated 65 miles west of town. This negates the necessity for a standalone liquor license, permitting the restaurant to serve the estate-grown Pennsylvania vineyard’s crisp, dry Riesling and crimson Carmine (a cross of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignane, and Merlot) alongside pastas produced in-house from native stone-milled flour. You’ll want to strive the vermouth made with herbs from the winery.

Di Bruno Bros. Bottle Store

After sampling farmhouse Gouda or crumbly Parmigiano-Reggiano at Italian Market cheese mecca Di Bruno Bros., pop over to its bottle store just a few doorways down, the place beverage supervisor Sande Friedman will provide help to discover the right pairings in your haul. Look out for the rising lineup of limited-edition wine that Friedman makes in collaboration with a few of the nation’s coolest winemakers.

The place to remain in Philadelphia

Yowie Lodge

Every room on this design-minded boutique lodge is an authentic mixture of mod furnishings, artwork, and decor, right down to the speckled ceramic mugs within the kitchen. And it’s almost all out there on the floor flooring way of life store. Immerse your self within the surrounding neighborhood — Bloomsday Cafe is only a block away from Yowie Lodge. Rooms from $296.

Guild Home Lodge

A Nationwide Historic Landmark that was as soon as dwelling to one of many oldest girls’s teams within the nation, this centrally situated Italianate row home acquired new life as an invisible service lodge. Some plush rooms at Guild Home Lodge have soaking tubs; all are trendy and filled with historic appeal that pays homage to the previous occupants. Rooms from $259.