Order like a boss and bag some of the city's best by-the-glass wines, thanks to Eater Vancouver wine editor, Kurtis Kolt.
What makes a great by-the-glass wine list? To my mind, it needn't be lengthy or fancy, but it does need to be a list that pays homage to the food it ostensibly pairs with - plus offer value and a little something for everyone. Whether you're looking to have a couple glasses with an upscale dinner, saddling up to the bar at the pub, or trying to seal a deal at a business lunch, we offer our inaugural map of Vancouver places that totally get it. You won't be penalized by price or selection just because you're not springing for a bottle. Feeling like a good glass or two? Here's where you should go and what you should drink right now.
While sister restaurant La Quercia is jam-packed nightly, you still get to enjoy their all-Italian list at this quaint little wine bar next door alongside simple fare like cheeses, rillettes, and salads. Things like San Felice’s Chianti Classico Riserva Il Grigio ($13) show why the classics never go out of style, while Costamolino’s Vermentino di Sardegna ($10) offers a close-your-eyes-and-you’re-there ray of Italian sun.
A modern gastropub offering everything from kale salad to pretty-stellar rabbit rillettes, it all gets washed down with the best of British Columbia, like Blue Mountain’s on-point sparkling Brut ($10), balanced by a few International heavy-hitters such as a handsome Cabernet Sauvignon from California’s biodynamic Benziger Winery ($13). The list is constantly updated so regulars always have something new to try; ask the staff for their latest favourites.
Chef Andrea Carlson’s Main Street spot has a rough and tumble, tasty take on locally-sourced ingredients and a locally-rare ‘naturalist’ wine program composed of French, Italian and BC wines. Naturalist refers to the stepping away from common winemaking interventions like enzyme additions, commercial yeasts and filtering; wines that are as honest as can be. JP Brun’s 'L’Ancien' Gamay ($12) brings gravelly Beaujolais soils front-and-centre, with cherries abound.
Who goes to a fairly-traditional English pub to drink wine? If we’re talking this popular Main Street haunt, plenty. The by-the-glass list offers a globe-trotting 15 wines that stretch from a killer-value Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Underwood Cellars ($9.50) to under-the-radar treats like the floral and citrusy Domaine de Grachies Sauvignon Blanc blend ($8) from the Côtes de Gascogne region in southwest France.
The cousin to Gastown’s popular ‘Cork & Fin’ brings a casual, breezy seafood and wine culture to Commercial Drive. While slurping down fresh oysters, sip away on the perfect-pairing of Chateau Gaudrelle’s Loire Valley crisp and flinty Muscadet ($11). Feeling adventurous? Try the wacky-yet-delicious 2011 Pedro Ximenez, normally a Sherry grape, vinified super-dry by Chile’s Viña Falernia ($11), resulting in lemony goodness with a hint of chamomile.
A short and tidy list, full of Italian cheer to wash down spaghetti carbonara or pizza margherita. Drink Alberto Antonini’s white Poggiotondo from Tuscany ($8) and rare drops like Vale Dell’Acate’s Frappato ($10), a unique Sicilian variety akin to a Pinot Noir loaded with fresh herbs. The odd BC wine’s in there, too; La Frenz Viognier ($9) is an orchard of peaches and apricots, direct from sunny Naramata.
Step into this buzzy tasting room where you can enjoy flight after flight of the best British Columbian wines alongside charcuterie, cheese plates and more. All 36 BC wines on offer are on tap, ensuring quality and freshness. Two-ounce tasters are between $2.50 and $3.50, flights of five are $12, while glasses start at $6. Favourites include Eau Vivre’s crisp and grapefruit-y Similkameen Valley Riesling, and the basket of cherries and spice that is JoieFarm Pinot Noir.
Wine director Brooke Delves manages a by-the-glass list bursting with producers so boutique, you’ll rarely see them on other lists around town. Perfect pairings to Chef Wesley Young’s nose-to-tail deliciousness include Schloss Lieser Thomas Haag’s German Riesling from the Mosel ($12), which sends stone fruit and lime through a prism of minerality. Don’t miss their ‘Wildebeest Red,’ a custom blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay ($11) they collaboratively-crafted with British Columbia’s Road 13 Vineyards.
It’s not just because Hawksworth is one of Vancouver’s most-lauded high-end restaurants that makes it one of best places to grab a glass. The brilliance is you can try a few dozen by-the-glass options as two-and-a-half ounce tasters. There are great-value wonders like the lemon meringue pie-like Domaine Gayda Viognier ($4) from France, but even better are opportunities like the renowned Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve Champagne for $15. Saddle up to the bar and mix things up!
Yup, it’s a (great) high-volume, chain restaurant. It’s also one of the few places that earned a Platinum Award at 2013’s Vancouver International Wine Festival. The business crowd love big, bold California icons like Foppiano ‘Lot 96’ Petite Sirah ($12) and restaurant trade love the international array of boutique gems like Château Pesquie’s Syrah-Grenache blend from the Rhône ($11). The enthusiastic staff are whip-smart and keen to offer recommendations.
How wonderful for Pier 7’s small but balanced by-the-glass list to not have been lazily assembled (and crazily marked-up) just because their amazing patio and view of Vancouver is guaranteed to pack ‘em in all summer. Think kick-ass clam chowder with Cave de Lugny’s Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé ($12), a traditional method sparkling from Burgundy made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
While sister restaurant La Quercia is jam-packed nightly, you still get to enjoy their all-Italian list at this quaint little wine bar next door alongside simple fare like cheeses, rillettes, and salads. Things like San Felice’s Chianti Classico Riserva Il Grigio ($13) show why the classics never go out of style, while Costamolino’s Vermentino di Sardegna ($10) offers a close-your-eyes-and-you’re-there ray of Italian sun.
A modern gastropub offering everything from kale salad to pretty-stellar rabbit rillettes, it all gets washed down with the best of British Columbia, like Blue Mountain’s on-point sparkling Brut ($10), balanced by a few International heavy-hitters such as a handsome Cabernet Sauvignon from California’s biodynamic Benziger Winery ($13). The list is constantly updated so regulars always have something new to try; ask the staff for their latest favourites.
Chef Andrea Carlson’s Main Street spot has a rough and tumble, tasty take on locally-sourced ingredients and a locally-rare ‘naturalist’ wine program composed of French, Italian and BC wines. Naturalist refers to the stepping away from common winemaking interventions like enzyme additions, commercial yeasts and filtering; wines that are as honest as can be. JP Brun’s 'L’Ancien' Gamay ($12) brings gravelly Beaujolais soils front-and-centre, with cherries abound.
Who goes to a fairly-traditional English pub to drink wine? If we’re talking this popular Main Street haunt, plenty. The by-the-glass list offers a globe-trotting 15 wines that stretch from a killer-value Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Underwood Cellars ($9.50) to under-the-radar treats like the floral and citrusy Domaine de Grachies Sauvignon Blanc blend ($8) from the Côtes de Gascogne region in southwest France.
The cousin to Gastown’s popular ‘Cork & Fin’ brings a casual, breezy seafood and wine culture to Commercial Drive. While slurping down fresh oysters, sip away on the perfect-pairing of Chateau Gaudrelle’s Loire Valley crisp and flinty Muscadet ($11). Feeling adventurous? Try the wacky-yet-delicious 2011 Pedro Ximenez, normally a Sherry grape, vinified super-dry by Chile’s Viña Falernia ($11), resulting in lemony goodness with a hint of chamomile.
A short and tidy list, full of Italian cheer to wash down spaghetti carbonara or pizza margherita. Drink Alberto Antonini’s white Poggiotondo from Tuscany ($8) and rare drops like Vale Dell’Acate’s Frappato ($10), a unique Sicilian variety akin to a Pinot Noir loaded with fresh herbs. The odd BC wine’s in there, too; La Frenz Viognier ($9) is an orchard of peaches and apricots, direct from sunny Naramata.
Step into this buzzy tasting room where you can enjoy flight after flight of the best British Columbian wines alongside charcuterie, cheese plates and more. All 36 BC wines on offer are on tap, ensuring quality and freshness. Two-ounce tasters are between $2.50 and $3.50, flights of five are $12, while glasses start at $6. Favourites include Eau Vivre’s crisp and grapefruit-y Similkameen Valley Riesling, and the basket of cherries and spice that is JoieFarm Pinot Noir.
Wine director Brooke Delves manages a by-the-glass list bursting with producers so boutique, you’ll rarely see them on other lists around town. Perfect pairings to Chef Wesley Young’s nose-to-tail deliciousness include Schloss Lieser Thomas Haag’s German Riesling from the Mosel ($12), which sends stone fruit and lime through a prism of minerality. Don’t miss their ‘Wildebeest Red,’ a custom blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay ($11) they collaboratively-crafted with British Columbia’s Road 13 Vineyards.
It’s not just because Hawksworth is one of Vancouver’s most-lauded high-end restaurants that makes it one of best places to grab a glass. The brilliance is you can try a few dozen by-the-glass options as two-and-a-half ounce tasters. There are great-value wonders like the lemon meringue pie-like Domaine Gayda Viognier ($4) from France, but even better are opportunities like the renowned Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve Champagne for $15. Saddle up to the bar and mix things up!
Yup, it’s a (great) high-volume, chain restaurant. It’s also one of the few places that earned a Platinum Award at 2013’s Vancouver International Wine Festival. The business crowd love big, bold California icons like Foppiano ‘Lot 96’ Petite Sirah ($12) and restaurant trade love the international array of boutique gems like Château Pesquie’s Syrah-Grenache blend from the Rhône ($11). The enthusiastic staff are whip-smart and keen to offer recommendations.
How wonderful for Pier 7’s small but balanced by-the-glass list to not have been lazily assembled (and crazily marked-up) just because their amazing patio and view of Vancouver is guaranteed to pack ‘em in all summer. Think kick-ass clam chowder with Cave de Lugny’s Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé ($12), a traditional method sparkling from Burgundy made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
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