Where to drink well in St. Louis by the glass and the bottle: natural, classical, and worth the cab fare.
Wine bars in St. Louis. natural, classical, and the grower-focused rooms worth the cab fare.
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.
Signature pour: A by-the-glass pour from the shop wall
Wine focus: Eclectic small-production and natural wines
Food: Cheese, charcuterie and small plates
Tip: Browse the shelves, pick a bottle, and pay shop price plus corkage to drink in. The cheese and charcuterie pair well.
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.
Signature pour: A staff-picked glass to match the cheese board
Wine focus: Approachable Old and New World by the glass
Food: Cheese, charcuterie and small plates
Tip: Order a cheese-and-charcuterie board and let the staff pair glasses across it. The patio is the prize in warm months.
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.
Signature pour: A by-the-glass pour to match the board
Wine focus: Approachable Old and New World by the glass
Food: Cheese, charcuterie and small plates
Tip: It works for a glass before dinner near the Botanical Garden. The board-and-glass pairing is the move here too.
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.
Signature pour: A natural rose or skin-contact pour
Wine focus: Natural producers, sourced person-by-person
Food: Italian-leaning snacks, sweets and small plates
Tip: Come Thursday through Saturday after 5pm for the natural wine list; the kitchen leans Italian and sweets travel well by the glass.
Parker's Table is a beloved boutique wine, beer and gourmet shop in Richmond Heights with a tasting bar, a go-to for staff-guided bottle picks and provisions.
Signature pour: A staff-recommended boutique bottle
Wine focus: Boutique wine retail with tasting bar
Food: Cheese, charcuterie and gourmet provisions
Tip: Tell the staff your budget and the meal; they are excellent at matching a bottle. Strong cheese counter too.
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.
Signature pour: A by-the-glass pour from the deep list
Wine focus: Deep global list with by-the-glass range
Food: Small plates, cheese and cigars
Tip: The multi-room layout suits any mood; ask the bar for a by-the-glass recommendation. Cigars are sold for the patio.
At City Foundry in Midtown, City Winery pairs house-made and curated wines with a full restaurant and a live-music room, a wine bar built around the stage.
Signature pour: A glass of City Winery's own production
Wine focus: House-made and curated eco-friendly wines
Food: Full restaurant menu
Tip: Pair dinner and wine with a concert; check the calendar. The on-site production wines are worth a flight.
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.
Signature pour: A pour from the Side Project lineup
Wine focus: Belgian-inspired beer plus whiskey and wine
Food: Snacks and light bites
Tip: It is beer-forward but the wine and whiskey lists are serious too. A short walk from the brewery itself.
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.
Signature pour: A Missouri Norton by the glass
Wine focus: Local Missouri and global by-the-glass list
Food: Small bites and shared boards
Tip: Walk-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.
A long-running Clayton wine shop with a tasting bar, The Wine Merchant pairs a curated retail wall with by-the-glass pours and a knowledgeable staff.
Signature pour: A staff-selected bottle by the glass at the bar
Wine focus: Curated retail with a tasting bar
Food: Cheese and provisions
Tip: Ask the staff to open something interesting by the glass at the bar. Strong for both gifts and everyday bottles.
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.
Signature pour: A bold red to match a dry-aged steak
Wine focus: Old World, New World and rare bottles
Food: Steakhouse and seafood menu
Tip: The list runs deep into collectible bottles; ask the staff for a steak pairing. A west-county splurge.
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.
Signature pour: A glass paired to the modern American plates
Wine focus: Wine, beer and award-winning cocktails
Food: Modern American menu
Tip: Pair a glass with the modern American menu, then head to the rooftop for a nightcap. Handy before a Loop show.