Whether you’ve lived here all your life or Georgia is a stop in your travels, Atlanta is home to so many fun wine bars that you definitely need to try if you’re a wine lover.
Atlanta is a huge, sprawling metropolis. The only thing that defines the large circular expanse is the I-285 interstate. It encompasses the city and defines all things Atlanta by ITP v. OTP. (Inside The Perimeter v. Outside The Perimeter.
One thing all Atlantans will agree on is that traffic is horrific. It is a mind-boggling juggernaught of rushours that go from 6:45 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. Traffic as the price you pay for living here, but finding a local neighborhood wine bar to relax and unwind at without dealing with traffic is critical for survival. So I’ve curated a list for you that even includes some off the path choices that are worth venturing to the suburbs for. Really!
The Best Wine Bars in Atlanta, Ga
If you’re in Atlanta as a tourist or live there and want to try something new these are the best wine bars to check out! Can’t make it? We also have wine clubs that deliver to Georgia too.
Barcelona Wine Bar
Barcelona is an iconic spot in Atlanta, with 2 locations, one in Inman Park at the other at Westside Ironworks. The focus here is on not only on great wines from Spain and Portugal, but the food. There’s charcueterie and tapas options that will keep you busy for a year of weekends. If the only thing that comes to mind when you think of Spanish wine is Rioja, then you are going to be amazed at the vast and diverse wine list that covers every region in Spain. If for some reason you are just Spanish wine averse, no worries. Wine selections also include Portugal, Germany, France, Uruguay and the Canary Islands. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the craft cocktails that are so good, you just might have to forgo one glass of wine for a cocktail instead.
Barcelona is part of the Barteca Restaurant Group with locations in nine states. Despite this fact, Barcelona does not fit the “chain” profile. The owners and managers continually travel the globe sourcing wines you won’t easily find elsewhere, and the menus update often as well. If you want a little insight into the genius behind the Barcelona Wine Bar concept, you can read through the experiences of travel and culture that owners and managers share while sourcing wines and food for the menu.
Krog Bar
If I tell you Krog Bar opened after famed owner Kevin Rathbun was inspired from a trip to Spain, you might think that it would be a lot like the previously mentioned Barcelona Wine Bar. But, you’d be wrong. Krog Bar is one of those spaces that makes you feel like you’ve found a little secret oasis in the middle of a big, urban jungle. The space feels intimate but has a well thought out design with plenty of seating. The food is awesome! And the libations include a full bar with an excellent wine selection that includes options from all of the world’s great wine regions.
Located right off of the Atlanta Beltline and near Krog Street Market, surely you can find a way to fit Krog Bar into an outing in the near future. People watching is at premium here, which makes it a great spot to linger and enjoy all that life has to offer.
Bellina Alimentari
Many people may think of Bellina Alimentari solely as an Italian market that occupies a corner of Ponce City Market, but tucked behind the market is a tiny little wine bar that specializes in minimal intervention Italian wines. The wine list is extensive and you are sure to find Italian favorites, as well as wines you’ve never even heard of before – including a nice selection of orange, i.e., amber wines. Bellina Alimentari doesn’t stop at wine though, there are house made sodas, craft cocktails (with house made and locally sourced bitters and shrubs), an espresso bar and even sparkling water on tap.
If you are in the mood for just a little nosh, the bread and olive platter will make you feel like you’ve been transported to Italy. Or, if something a little more substantial is in order, the pastas are some of the best I’ve even experienced. If you’re lucky enough to be there when they are hand making the pastas for the menu, you’ll probably be inspired to want to make your own – and it just so happens Bellini Alimentari offers monthly classes, from pasta making to Scotch pairing, but hurry, they sell out fast.
City Winery Atlanta
Atlanta’s only urban winery, City Winery is a great space for wine, music, dinner, or an event. The Winery produces wine on premise from grapes grown in north Georgia, as well as California. In addition to their own wines, you will find a nice selection of other producers from around the globe. City Winery truly strives to be your destination for the evening, with a full service restaurant and one of Atlanta’s best intimate spaces for live music. Be sure to order a flatbread from the menu – it’s made with the lees from the wine produced on site!
If you are just in the mood for a quick sip and nibble, they’ve got you covered there as well with an excellent bar space and outdoor patio where you can you enjoy a sip with your fur baby. Perhaps my favorite space at City Winery is the tasting room – tucked away in a corner downstairs, you can enter from the street if you know where to look. Tiny, dark and cozy with a speakeasy feel, it’s a great spot to taste through a flight or a get growler filled to go.
Vino Venue
Vino Venue is technically in Dunwoody, but it is right off of I-285 at the Chamblee-Dunwoody exit and it is one of the best destinations in all of Atlanta wine. The logo is drink, dine, discover and they truly live up to all three. With 32 selections available on enomatic dispensers, you can choose a 1 oz, 2.5 oz, or 5 oz pour so you can truly taste and explore. If you know what you like and that’s that, they offer more than 200 wines by the bottle and an extensive by the glass menu as well. A full service menu of hand crafted chef-driven options means you can make an evening of it if you decide to venture out and – gasp – straddle the perimeter.
Once you fall in love with Vino Venue you’ll want to start attending classes and events. The Atlanta Wine School calls Vino Venue home and they offer everything from pairing and cooking classes, to professional wine certifications.
Cru Wine Bar
Cru is also straddling the perimeter, this time right at the border to Cobb County with their location at the Battery. Parisian bistro meets American plush is how I like to describe Cru – it’s elegant yet also comfortable and welcoming. The Battery is the home of SunTrust (now Truist) Park and Cru is a great stop pre or post game, but my favorite time to visit is when there is no home game at all.
Cru is a chain with multi-state locations. But, if you live in the Alpharetta area, you’ll be happy to know that there is a second Atlanta location at Avalon. Check the website for regular weekly events at both locations. Pizza Monday or Champagne Thursday anyone?
The Vineyard Wine Market
The Vineyard is a wine lover’s dream with 40 selections by the glass, 8 on tap and more than 300 available by the bottle. The original space is located in Smyrna at the Market Village, but if you find yourself a little deeper into the suburbs, a second location recently opened in Kennesaw. Owner Anthony Alvarez has more energy and passion for wine than anyone I know and it shows in the nonstop array of events offered.
If you are looking to learn and meet other people who love wine, The Vineyard is the best spot to do that. The wine club offers club tasting events so you can meet other fellow club members. And as stated above the classes and events are nearly every day of the week. Check it out here.
Bonus OTP Spots Worth Seeking Out
Stem Wine Bar
Stem is attached the restaurant Seed, but has it’s own separate entrance and identity. Located in the East Cobb neighborhood of Marietta, Stem is all wine, all the time… With the added bonus of offering amazing small-plate food selections of the same caliber as Seed. You can taste flights, order small tastes from the enomatic selections, order by the bottle or from the extensive by the glass list. The décor of Stem is a bit 70’s but the bar is long, the seats are many and the service is not only excellent, but knowledgeable.
Stem offers monthly wine and food pairing classes that feature a different region each month. At around $50 a head it may seem pricey at first, but once you attend, you’ll think it’s a bargain. Six generous tasting pours, paired with six small plates created just for the event, these events are top notch and usually sell out.
Marietta Wine Market
Marietta Wine Market is first and foremost a retail space with an excellent selection of wines, gifts and art from famed wine artists like Leighann Laine and Thomas Arvid. But the space also includes a tasting bar with excellent selections to try that change regularly. Cozy seating and neighborhood feel make this gem located on the Historic Marietta Square feel like a modern day version of Cheers.
Twice a week curated, but casual tastings are on offer here – on Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons. The tastings, which almost always benefit a local charity, include a 1 oz pour of 5 wines and cost $10 a person. A wine club, and multiple wine trips a year, make Marietta Wine Market a great little spot to know.
unWine’d & Tap
unWine’d is waaayyy out in the West Cobb neighborhood of Marietta. It’s an area that’s lacking in upscale dining options so this placed is packed all the time. The owners heard the cries from locals for more, more, more and they opened a second location in …. Gasp …. Paulding County on Cedarcrest Rd. If you happen to be near either location, you will not regret a visit.
unWine’d has the distinction of having one of the most extensive selections of wine on tap in the Atlanta area, but the bottle and by the glass selections are also impressive. A full bar with all the standards, plus craft cocktails, gives the non-wine drinkers in your party reason to be just as excited. unWine’d is an oasis in a vast desert of thirsty, hunger suburbanites looking for a nice experience close to home. The menu offers excellent food options that change weekly, including a pairing board of 4 wines and 4 small bites.
