12 Best Wine Bars in Charlottesville

“I love this place, it's super cute and the menu is amazing. Great variety of tea and adorable wine menu, the food looked great but we didn't know about it because they didn't give us a food menu, I would have loved to try it.

Along that same line, the place is great, but there are some major issues. Our server kept disappearing, we told her we were on a time crunch and we still had to flag down someone else.

We asked for sugar, and when she brought some it was a tiny amount (10% of the container) and she refilled it to 30% when we ran out and asked. The sugar container needs to be cleaned, the fact that she just poured more in is gross, but the fact that the spoons fit in the openings is deeply unsanitary. I watched someone scoop sugar in their tea, stir, lick the spoon, and scoop more sugar out of the container. Sugar should be brought out in either a pour only container OR do the afternoon tea route and consider it spent if it goes to a table, if it's shared it should not be able to have a utensil in it.

While that was pretty gross, my biggest issue is actually the tea pots. I LOVE tea, and I love green and white tea. Because they use pots that grandpa steep, ie the leaves are loose in the water and you pour through a strainer, the tea keeps steeping the whole time you're there. The water is already borderline too hot for green tea leaves, but after 3-5 minutes the leaves burn. My tea was undrinkable after the first pour, we all left half the teapot on the table because it was undrinkable, even the black tea. Only herbal and rooibos can handle that much water and heat for that long. As a fancy, upscale tea place that's sending out timers (which should be different based on the leaf type), they should be doing better. You can't charge $15 (or $18) per pot of tea if only the first cup is drinkable.

I'm not sure if it's the norm, but our waitress acted like it was an inconvenience for us to be there, asking any questions or even the seasonal teas led to eyerolls and having to go check and long absences.

All that said, the tea WAS really good, the environment was amazing, the wines are great, and it's a great little spot, but needs work on service, sanitation, and tea. If tea wasn't in the name I wouldn't be so harsh on it, but you genuinely need to properly steep tea if you're charging that much for it and it's in the name.“

“Charcuterie Board! Very tasty with 3 cheeses and 2 meats. Great price. Service was excellent. Yummy baguette, very good crust. Thank you!“

“This place its the best authentic wine place i ever been in VA. I order a bottle of white wine, charcuterie table ,pasta ,Pizza and cream brûlée. I will definitely come back. All staff is really great but over all Mr.Vicent has an excellent taste for wine and Futbol. If i can i leave them a 100 stars 100%. ✊🏼🔥🤤😊“

“Highly recommend this restaurant! The house salad was the best salad I’d ever had. The cocktails are wonderful; the tender even accommodated my special request. The entrees were sumptuous; we got the Italian sausage pasta and the salmon. We travel through Charlottesville twice a year and dine here on our way up and back each year. It’s my favorite part of our trip. Service is excellent.“

“Fabulous flavors and exceptional service. Don't be shy about saying if you want something sweeter. This barista was great about giving us tastes and fixing our drinks so it was EXACTLY what we wanted. The egg and cheese on a potato roll was amazing. It shocked me how good something so simple was. Everything was elevated by the care with which it was prepared.“

“Stunning new space in Charlottesville!“

“We had a wonderful experience at Tastings of Charlottesville’s wine dinner on 2/24, as a belated Valentine’s Day celebration. The evening focused on wines from Burgundy — specifically Côtes de Beaune and Pommard — and featured producer Domaine Rougeot.

We really love learning about wine (especially when it comes to pairing it with food) and we value educational experiences that are both insightful and free of pretension. We know that’s a delicate balance to strike, and Tastings absolutely hit the mark! 👏

The evening started with some Catsmo smoked salmon canapés, paired with one of the best traditional-method sparklings I’ve had: Vitteaut-Alberti Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Blanc de Blancs. Trust me when I say you need to get a bottle!

The first picture showcases the flight of White Burgundies with a really delicious and cozy coq au vin. Our favorite wine was the third, Domaine Rougeot’s 2022 Saint-Romain “La Combe Bazin.” The nose alone was one of the most gorgeous I’ve experienced in quite some time — truly a stunning bouquet.

The second picture is of the flight of Pinot Noirs. With the reds, we enjoyed a lovely petite tenderloin and “Ma’s Scalloped Potatoes.” Of the second flight, our favorite wine was again the third. This time, it was Domaine Rougeot’s 2022 Pommard “Clos des Roses,” a natural, organic Pinot Noir from a walled monopole vineyard.

The evening concluded with a thoughtfully-curated cheese plate, Deb’s cookie of the week (a yummy oatmeal raisin), and a delightful taste of 2016 Bouchard Père & Fils Pommard.

We *thoroughly* enjoyed ourselves! The food, wine, and company were excellent. We can’t wait to visit Tastings for another wine dinner in the future! 🥂🍷“

“Service excellence. Perfect setting. Fantastic food. Everything was great“

“The food was delicious and the service was wonderful.“

“Authentic Italian food! Our waitress Modesta was amazing! Best meal we have had while visiting the area!“

“I recently had the BEST SALAD of my life at Bizou (the roasted beet, mango + goat cheese salad!) It was a gorgeous Wednesday afternoon in summer, sitting in the lovely shade of a patio umbrella, a chilled glass of Virginia-made Rose wine…. A quintessential Charlottesville experience. I will definitely be back, and I highly recommend!“

“Randy at the bar has made our weekend absolutely phenomenal!! He is so sociable, knowledgeable about the area and makes a mean cocktail. He even made me a hangover cure when I told him I wasn’t feeling 100%. Definitely worth the visit ESPECIALLY if you get to meet Randy!!“