These 2 Restaurants In Atlanta Named Top Wine Spots In Country

ATLANTA, GA — Diners who want a truly fine glass or bottle of wine with their meal have a couple of options in the Atlanta metro for a stellar vino paired with amazing food. Wine Enthusiast magazine just published a useful guide that profiles the great wine restaurants in 38 states and Puerto Rico, including two in Georgia.

The magazine compiles the list of the 100 best wine restaurants every year, looking for “eateries that incorporate wine in thoughtful and exciting ways.”

The restaurants aren’t arranged according to preference, as a ranking would be, and there’s no matrix for the number of bottles of wine on hand, prices or the types of food the restaurant serves.

“Instead,” Wine Enthusiast wrote, “it is a selection of restaurants where wine is shared and celebrated, and where, in our experiences, the selection, food, service and atmosphere are all exceptional.”

The 100 best wine restaurants are found in the following states and Puerto Rico: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.

In Georgia, two restaurants made the cut.

Atlas, 88 West Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta, in the St. Regis

Why Wine Experience loves it: "With more than 70 wines by the glass (including Madeiras back to 1908), you may never make it to Head Sommelier Samuel Gable’s ever-growing bottle list. Eat in the dining room surrounded by works from Picasso, Monet and Van Gogh (on loan from The Lewis Collection) or retire to The Tavern for a more casual take on Chef Christopher Grossman’s Southern-inspired cuisine.."

The dish the magazine loved most: Slow-roasted corned short rib, with grilled scallions, Hakurei turnip, mustard-braised chard, and warm potato salad.

Marcel, 1170 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta

Why Wine Experience loves it: "Named for the iconic European boxer Marcel Cerdan, this steak-forward throwback sports one of the largest and finest French wine lists in Atlanta. It has only continued to build out the vinous offerings over the last year, with special attention given to its stocks of Champagne and Rhône."

The dish the magazine loved most: Beef Wellington for Two: Chateaubriand, mushroom duxelles, prosciutto, puff pastry.

Read the complete list.