2 PA Restaurants Among Best In Country For Wine

PHILADELPHIA — Diners who want a truly fine glass or bottle of wine with their meal — we’re not judging! — don’t want to fly blind and take a chance on a disappointing pour. Wine Enthusiast magazine just published a useful guide that profiles the great wine restaurants in 38 states and Puerto Rico, including Pennsylvania.

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 Pennsylvania, 2 Philadelphia restaurants made the cut.

The Love — 130 S. 18th St., Philadelphia

Why Wine Experience loves it:

Local wine is a huge focus for me and for the restaurant. I love turning guests on to new wines in general, but there is something even more gratifying about introducing someone to a category they didn’t know would be as delicious as it is, and have that wine be made in Pennsylvania. Getting to know the local vintners in Pennsylvania is one of the most exciting parts of my job, as is sharing their wines and their stories with our guests. Relationships with local farmers are really important to us in the kitchen and they have become equally as important to us on the wine list.

Vetri Cucina — 1312 Spruce St, Philadelphia

Why Wine Experience loves it:

Currently I have been on a magnum buying spree at Vetri. We have been able to purchase magnums of benchmark wines, Barolo, Brunello, Pinot Bianco, Champagne etc and feature these bottles on our wine pairing and by-the-glass program. Often the magnums have been back vintages and very drinkable now. It’s fun to talk to guests and the staff about the aging potential of the large format and when these bottles are on the floor it is a ‘wow’ moment for the guests.

Read the complete list.