As they say, a bottle of wine keeps the doctor away! Well, I am not a doctor and I’m pretty sure my mother told me that fact so I wouldn’t give it too much credibility but this doesn’t mean a bottle of wine isn’t good for the soul! National Wine Day is Tuesday, May 25th, and to celebrate this epic day the right way you need a list. You need a place to start and a place to end. Whether you are looking for a place where you feel like true wine royalty or prefer a more rustic, home-grown approach, Tampa has everything you desire from the vine! As we head into Memorial Day weekend in Tampa let's say cheers to the Top 10 wine bars in Tampa!
Photo taken at Fleming's by Tracy Ann Guida
The Wine Exchange Bistro & Bar
Crave that classy feel while relaxing with a nice glass of red or white wine in South Tampa? Channel your inner “wine mom” and head over to Hyde Park Village to The Wine Exchange! They’ve graced the Village for nearly three decades and know what they’re doing when it comes to happy hour with truly amazing food. Offering a weekday happy hour that focuses on different drinks through the week, Tuesday's are wine days with 20% off Select bottles of wine. On the third Tuesday of each month enjoy a Wine Tasting for $15 person (appetizers served). I love that The Exchange allows our fur-legged friends to join us on the outdoor patio, with a dog on my lap and glass of wine in my hand, I forget I am drinking alone as I research this article!
About The Wine Exchange Bistro & Bar - With a reverential nod to the street side cafés of Europe, the Wine Exchange offers a welcoming and relaxing respite from the everyday toil. Taste wines from all over the globe in our crystal stemware while sitting on the patio, or take in the surrounding scenery sipping martinis at our fully stocked bar. With over forty different wines by the glass and a bartending crew that really knows how to shake it, you are sure to find an old favorite or discover something new.
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Ybor City Wine Bar
Located in historic Ybor City, obviously, the Ybor City Wine Bar provides an intimate atmosphere with Miami flair that’s great for relaxing with friends and colleagues. Here you can become certified in wine and join the Ybor City Wine Society. You can take part in their wine tastings every Wednesday evening at 7 pm. proving to your friends you know what you’re talking about when a wine is the subject!
About The Ybor City Wine Bar – The Ybor City Wine Bar is Tampa Bay’s ultimate wine bar destination, offering a selection of over 200 hand-picked reasonably priced boutique wines plus an extensive selection of over 100 craft beers by the bottle. Our intimate and upscale location on 7th Avenue in Ybor City can accommodate groups of all sizes and is available for private events such as fundraisers, birthday celebrations and holiday parties.
Carmel Kitchen Wine Bar
Over in South Tampa, Carmel Kitchen is waiting to tempt you with Mediterranean cuisine and of course amazing wines. Enjoy happy hour with a 9oz “Big Pour” glass of wine or specialty cocktails at reduced prices or get a whole bottle for 50% off during Wine & Unwind Wednesdays. Carmel is a fresh take on a Tampa wine bar!
About Carmel Kitchen - Experience modern interpretations of Mediterranean cuisine meticulously paired with global wines and house-infused cocktails. Relish in the genuine, warm, everyday hospitality of Carmel Kitchen.
CRU Cellars
With an amazing happy hour and phenomenal wine-centric events, you need to know about Cru Cellars! Happy hour is every weekday at 4 and Saturday at 1:30 so you can pop in for a glass or two, or three, or four......Join the Cru Club and receive Cru's Wine of the Month and get free passes into select events and tastings! Cru Cellars motto, “We only sell great wine. Really!”
About Cru Cellars – Tampa’s “Best Wine Bar” four years in a row, Cru Cellars is happily and obsessively wine focused. With the best by-the-glass list in Tampa, our bar pours more than 35 wines, with seven different wine flights and over 30 craft beers!
Seasons 52
You may know Season's 52 as an iconic upscale restaurant in the Westshore District but did you know they are an elite wine bar too? Known as the wine bar where you can experience amazing wines 'before they are famous' happy hour starts daily at 4 pm. Select from a complete and thoughtfully curated wine list as you sample inspired appetizers, relax, sit back and laugh with your friends and loved ones in a comfortable, easy-going atmosphere.
About Seasons 52 - Seasons 52 is a celebration of what’s good now. Seasonally inspired menus featuring ingredients at their peak of freshness. Rustic cooking techniques like brick oven roasting and open-fire grilling that bring out natural flavors. And an ever-changing selection of global wines. All in a casually sophisticated setting. Discover what’s good now, this and every season.
The Stein and Vine
If you want to support a local small business while enjoying a neighborhood wine bar in Tampa, Stein and Vine in Brandon is the place where you can experience all that and more. Expect great wine and extraordinary food. Consistently updating their featured wines they offer a Wine Down Wednesday. The word 'cozy' fits Stein and Vine, if you like laid-back wine bars, this is the one for you!
About The Stein and Vine - The Stein & Vine is a neighborhood craft beer and wine bar located in Brandon, FL at the corner of Kings & Bloomingdale Ave. It is run by Ty Mathis and his lovely wife Lacey, who have turned this small pub into a culinary masterpiece full of flavors and tastes you'll crave long after you leave.
Bern's Steak House
You can’t mention wine in Tampa without discussing Bern’s, Bern Laxer's wine cellar is legendary, featuring thousands of selections, and housing some of the rarest bottles on earth. If you love wine and haven't done the wine cellar tour yet trust me, you will experience that 'kid in a candy shop feeling' as you traverse the narrow hallways peering beyond security gates at the rarest of bottles. When I mentioned being treated like wine royalty above, Bern's was one of the places I thought of. There is no finer experience than enjoying a fine glass of wine at the bar inside Bern's Steakhouse in South Tampa.
About Bern’s Wine Cellar - Today, our cellar contains more than 6,800 different selections with more than half a million bottles. Bern's Wine Cellar is the perennial recipient of the Wine Spectator Grand Award, the magazine's highest honor bestowed upon restaurants that display an uncompromising and passionate commitment to quality.
Taps Restaurant Bar and Lounge
If you want to feel exclusive and special, Taps has a great selection of wine for you! With almost 60 selections available by the glass your wine is served by an experienced staff or you can serve yourself with their special wine preservation system.
About Taps - Looking for a refreshing alternative to the chaos of typical bar scenes? Somewhere with an outstanding selection of craft beers and imports, quality wines, and flavorful food? A convenient destination with a charming ambiance and a very knowledgeable staff? Then Taps should definitely be added to your social calendar.
West Palm Wines & Beaune's Wine Bar
In a classically restored old Ybor building, Beaune’s Wine Bar offers wonderful deals, bottles are priced $10 above market value, making most everything they offer, easy on your wallet. Take part in their wine institute and learn when to order certain wines, how to properly store your wine bottles so they maintain perfection and much more.
About West Palm Wines/Beaune’s Wine Bar - West Palm Wines is a full-service fine wine retailer located in the Ybor City district of Tampa. We are specialists in the great wines of France, Italy and Spain, and also offer a complete selection of Champagnes and dessert wines.
Fleming's Steakhouse
At Flemings, wine goes through an extensive 12-month process to ensure you are receiving their very best! Their wine collection features 100 different wines, making it difficult to decide. But no worries, the staff is educated and can guide you to the perfect selection if you are unsure. Take advantage of this wine bar's handy WiNEPAD, it gives you all the information you need on every wine in stock.
About Flemings - Join us for a drink after work and choose from our list of 100 wines by the glass, including 30 local selections made by our resident Wine Manager. Then stay to enjoy an exceptional selection of steaks hand-cut USDA Prime steaks.
So that's our list of the top ten wine bars in Tampa, we know it’s going to be hard to decide which places to frequent tomorrow for National Wine Day and encourage you to start with a place you've not yet explored and end up at one of your faves! Be sure to leave your reviews on the 813area business pages and comment below to share your favorites simply brag about the best wines you’ve uncorked in Tampa! We want to hear from you! (Planning on statin in for National Wine Day? If so, check out Whiskey Willy's in North Tampa or Leuken's Liquor in the Westshore area. And don't miss our guide to Bars and Nightclubs in Tampa, it's full of cool places to explore across Tampa!
(Cover photo dentisto4.tumblr - other photos courtesy of Facebook)
