It’s Wine O’Clock in Downtown St. Louis

St. Louis wine bars make fine wine more accessible – and they won’t leave you hungry! In and around downtown, the top wine bars serve scrumptious dishes alongside quality pours, adding live entertainment to the mix for a truly memorable experience.

For a splash of history in your glass, head to Augusta, Missouri. Established as the country’s first American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1980, Augusta boasts wineries with captivating legacies, which produce wines in a range of styles with native and hybrid grapes such as Chambourcin, Norton and Vidal Blanc.

Bridge Tap House & Wine Bar

Adorned with wood and wire, Bridge Tap House & Wine Bar uses décor from the forests of Missouri and Pennsylvania to create a warm and welcoming feel. The classy yet comfortable space is the perfect place to kick back after an exciting day of sightseeing or an endless week of meetings.

Employing knowledgeable, considerate staff and sustainable practices, Bridge also supports local farms and breweries with its extensive menu, which encompasses more than 55 beers on tap, more than 100 beers in bottles and just as many wines.

Rosemary focaccia, citrus-wrapped ricotta, vegetable pot pie, blood orange crab cakes and smoked chicken Alfredo pasta redefine bar fare, and you can build your own charcuterie board with exquisite cheeses, housemade meats and delectable add-ons such as black pepper flatbread, local honey, fig jam, mixed olives, roasted garlic and Marcona almonds.

The friendly staff can, of course, suggest a beer pairing for any dish, but we’re here for the wine, right? Bottles hail from Bordeaux, France; Piedmont, Italy; Attica, Greece; Marlborough, New Zealand; Mendoza, Argentina; Willamette, Oregon; Finger Lakes, New York; and beyond. Wines by the glass rotate, but there are always a dozen options, and you can also enjoy a flight if you can’t commit to one.

Buddy’s Wine Bar & Bistro

A stone’s throw from America’s Center Convention Complex, Buddy’s Wine Bar & Bistro is a casual setting for a glass of wine with dinner.

Along with French and Italian wines, its focus is hospitality. “From the wines to the cocktails and the music to the vibe, we do everything with intention,” Corey James, who co-owns Buddy’s and Bella’s with Austin Blankenship, says. “We want to make sure that you enjoy yourself, and you don’t have to dress up or down for the occasion.”

The wine bar offers almost 30 wines by the glass, and James insists that you pair the crisp whites, bold reds and sparkling bubbles with truffle fries topped with Parmesan and black garlic; chicken tacos doused in Thai sweet chile sauce; and Korean beef bulgogi sliders slathered with spicy mayonnaise. “You don’t usually hear, ‘Go to that wine bar and get the tacos,” James says with a laugh, “but for us, the from-scratch food is a big draw.” The recently expanded food menu also features hearty chicken, steak and salmon entrées, and the flatbreads made with a Roman-style pizza dough never disappoint.

If you’re drinking with a more spirited crowd, don’t sleep on the cocktails. Highlights include The Rabbit Hole, a citrus-forward gin cocktail that changes flavor in the middle, and Pisco-Rita, a bold twist on the classic margarita, which blends Peruvian brandy and reposado tequila. “I’m also proud of our freshly brewed espresso martinis,” James says. “If you can’t choose between the three, order a flight!”

City Winery St. Louis

The brainchild of Michael Dorf, who founded the first location in New York City in 2008, City Winery delivers an indelible experience where guests can enjoy intimate performances, upscale dining and, of course, wine. “City Winery is an amalgamation of my interests,” Dorf says. “It’s a hedonistic, selfish project because I wanted a perfect place for me. That said, you have to love what you do and believe in what you sell, and I do.”

The 225-seat venue hosts approximately 200 shows a year, featuring everything from rock bands to stand-up comedians and jazz singers to hip-hop bingo. Every ticket comes with a reserved seat, and throughout the show, you can enjoy food and drinks. The food menu focuses on Mediterranean-inflected tapas-style dishes. Oenophiles can also preorder wine to have a bottle waiting at their table when they arrive!

You don’t have to see a show to indulge, though. City Winery’s Barrel Room Restaurant & Wine Bar invites guests to unwind in an intimate setting, where house-fermented wine flows from camera-ready barrel heads behind the bar. Right now, City Winery has eight wines on tap – think Riesling from Michigan-grown grapes, Pinot Noir from California-grown grapes and Rosé of Syrah – with more varieties available by the bottle. Can’t decide on a glass? Order a wine flight, which comes with four 2-ounce pours.

“City Winery offers a unique experience with intimate entertainment, real food and great wine – to me, that’s the perfect night,” Dorf says. “When we get it right, it’s magic.”

Winnie’s Wine Bar

Let the good times flow! Winnie’s Wine Bar offers a comfortable setting with soft seating and chill music where you can take your taste buds on a trip to the far corners of the world.

The wine list features reds, whites and rosés from Portugal, Chile, Australia, Italy, South Africa, Southeast Asia and France, among other wine-making regions, and the cleverly named wine flights allow you to try three at a time. Until spring has sprung, Jason Arnold of Hamilton Hospitality, which owns and operates Winnie’s Wine Bar, recommends the trio of Cabernet Sauvignon dubbed May I Call You a Cab. With tasting notes of cocoa, plush fruit and subtle licorice, the wines will warm your soul during the final days of winter.

Feeling peckish? Best-selling small plates include the bacon-dusted popcorn, prime rib sliders and seared scallops with honey-whipped ricotta, which Arnold pairs with Château de Lacarelle Beaujolais-Villages 2022, DAOU Pessimist Red Blend 2022 and The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc 2022, respectively.

If you’re open to indulging midweek, Winnie’s Wine Bar has a tempting happy hour, which runs from 3 to 6 p.m., with half-price bottles of wine less than $75 on Tuesday; buy one small plate, get one for 50 percent off on Wednesday; and $3 off wine flights, $2 off wines by the glass and cocktails and $1 off bottle and draft beers on Thursday.

For other assorted specials on everything from local beer, wine flights and house margaritas to cheese curds, chicken wings and fish tacos, check out our guide to happy hour in St. Louis.