St. Louis wine bars range from retail-wall pours to candlelit natural-wine rooms across the metro. 33 Wine Shop & Bar in Lafayette Square, open since 2001, lets you pull any bottle off the wall and drink it for a small corkage, while Sasha's pours approachable by-the-glass lists at its DeMun and Shaw rooms and The Clover and the Bee runs a natural wine bar in Webster Groves.
$$$$Wine barLafayette Square
Open since 2001 in Lafayette Square, 33 lets you pull any bottle off the retail wall and drink it at the bar for a small corkage. A pioneering local wine bar.
TipBrowse the shelves, pick a bottle, and pay shop price plus corkage to drink in. The cheese and charcuterie pair well.
$$$$Wine barClayton
Sasha's DeMun room pours an approachable by-the-glass list with cheese and charcuterie in a homey Clayton space, one of two long-running Sasha's wine bars.
TipOrder a cheese-and-charcuterie board and let the staff pair glasses across it. The patio is the prize in warm months.
$$$$Wine barBotanical Heights
The Shaw outpost of Sasha's pours the same wide by-the-glass list and noshing plates near the Botanical Garden, a relaxed neighbourhood wine bar.
TipIt works for a glass before dinner near the Botanical Garden. The board-and-glass pairing is the move here too.
$$$$Wine barWebster Groves
By day a neighborhood cafe, Thursday to Saturday The Clover and the Bee turns its candlelit room into a natural wine bar with producer-led bottles and snacks.
TipCome Thursday through Saturday after 5pm for the natural wine list; the kitchen leans Italian and sweets travel well by the glass.
$$$$Wine barRichmond Heights
Parker's Table is a popular boutique wine, beer and gourmet shop in Richmond Heights pouring varied glasses at the back bar and stocking small-producer.
TipTell the staff your budget and the meal; they are excellent at matching a bottle. Strong cheese counter too.
$$$$Wine barCentral West End
Kevin Brennan's Central West End bar pours a deep wine list with small plates across a townhouse of rooms, from a fireside lounge to a basement bar and patio.
TipThe multi-room layout suits any mood; ask the bar for a by-the-glass recommendation. Cigars are sold for the patio.
$$$$Wine barMidtown
At City Foundry in Midtown, City Winery pairs house-made and chosen wines with live music nights in a 350-seat industrial room with garage-door patio.
TipPair dinner and wine with a concert; check the calendar. The on-site production wines are worth a flight.
$$$$Wine barMaplewood
Side Project's Maplewood Cellar is a Belgian-inspired beer bar that also pours a deep whiskey and wine list, the tasting room for the metro's top brewery.
TipIt is beer-forward but the wine and whiskey lists are serious too. A short walk from the brewery itself.
$$$$Wine barFerguson
A veteran-owned wine bar in downtown Ferguson, Midwest pours a curated mix of Missouri wines, international bottles and craft beer with snack-sized plates.
TipWalk-ins welcome; ask for a flight that pairs a Missouri Norton against a Rhone or Cabernet. The boards travel well across the by-the-glass list.
$$$$Wine barClayton
A long-running Clayton wine shop with a tasting bar, The Wine Merchant pairs a selected retail wall with by-the-glass pours and a knowledgeable staff.
TipAsk the staff to open something interesting by the glass at the bar. Strong for both gifts and everyday bottles.
$$$$Wine barSunset Hills
Twisted Tree backs its steaks with an extensive Old World and New World wine list, a Sunset Hills steakhouse where the cellar is as much a draw as the beef.
TipThe list runs deep into collectible bottles; ask the staff for a steak pairing. A west-county splurge.
$$$$Wine barDelmar Loop
Eclipse at the Moonrise Hotel pours a galaxy of wine and beer alongside an award-winning cocktail program in the Delmar Loop, with a rooftop bar above.
TipPair a glass with the modern American menu, then head to the rooftop for a nightcap. Handy before a Loop show.