6 Best Wine Bars in St. Paul
You may not think of it at first blush, but the state of Minnesota produces a variety of quality wines from cold-resistant grapes after the first winery opened in the late 1970s. Today, there’s 40 wineries and a large collection of wine bars available throughout the state. And the capital city of St. Paul serves as a hub for a wine aficionado in search of a quality glass, with a variety of well-known wine bars and restaurants throughout the east side of the Twin Cities. Whether you want a relaxing night or are planning a party, here’s some of the very best wine bars that St. Paul has to offer.
Meritage
410 St. Peter St., St. Paul
651-222-5670
meritage-stpaul.com
French food and French wine; what’s not to love? Sommalier Nico Giraud maintains an impressive wine list, including Cru Meurseault for only $350 a bottle, to pair with the cuisine available at the oyster bar. It’s not just the French wines that fill up the menu on Meritage, however, as a variety of delicious Californian, European, and South American vintages complement the delicious entrees like roast marrow bone. A happy hour from 3:30 to 5:30 on Tuesday-Fridays makes for a great opportunity to dip out of work a few minutes early.
Hours:
Tuesday-Friday, 11 am to 10 pm
Saturday-Sunday, 10 am to 10 pm
Closed Mondays
Domacin
102 S 2nd St. Stillwater
651-439-1352
domacinwinebar.com
Located a bit further away from the main stretch in stillwater lies a hidden gem by the name of Domacin. Cute and cozy, there’s a variety of changing wines on the list so that customers may never drink the same vintage twice. Featured in Travel and Leisure Magazine’s top 25 list of American wine bars, Domacin has plenty to offer, whether you want a full meal or just to pop in and browse the collection. Their head chef Jeffrey Lundmark graduated from the Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, and it shows in the variety of dishes he trots out, including deviled duck eggs and pork belly sliders.
Hours:
Sunday/Monday/Tuesday, 4 pm to 10 pm
Wednesday/Thursday, 4 pm to 11 pm
Friday/Saturday, 4 pm to 12 am
Acqua
4453 Lake Avenue S., White Bear Lake
651-407-7317
acqua-restaurants.com
This trendy spot opened on the lake’s edge in 2009 and has been hopping since day one. Sommalier Nicole Whetzel maintains an extensive wine menu with a few eccentricities, including vintages from Russia and Israel. Whether you enjoy the exotic or like to stick to the proven performers, Acqua has fifty separate bottles and a staff who excel in explaining every detail to customers, in addition to an Italian menu that features everything from classic calamari to new-age wild boar ragu for diners.
Hours:
Tuesday to Saturday, 5 pm to 10 pm
Sunday, 5 pm to 9 pm
WA Frost and Company
374 Selby Ave., St Paul
651-224-5715
While nobody cares to venture out onto WA Frost’s patio during the month of February, come the warmer months this wine bar offers an elm-wood dining and drinking experience that’s second to none in the city. Few high-class digs have an old-time feel to compare with WA Frost, whose fantastic Victorian-era bar makes you feel like your great-grandparents must have when they went out on the town a century ago. They offer a wide variety of wine flights for the same cost as a single glass, making it possible to experiment with your palate and find new vintages to love that you’d never heard of. What’s more, their fantastic cheeses pair perfectly with their wine collection.
Hours:
Sunday to Thursday, 11 am to 12 pm
Friday to Saturday, 11 am to 1 am
Terzo
2221 W. 50th St, St. Paul
612-925-0330
broders.com/terzo-vino-bar
In vino veritas is Italian wine bar Terzo’s official slogan. With over one thousand bottles in their collection, it’s not hard to see why. If you’re in the mood for wine from South Africa or Australia, you may need to venture elsewhere, but for a truly authentic Italian dining experience with the best wines that that boot-shaped nation has to offer, you can’t do better in the Twin Cities than Terzo. The rotating wine list features fifty vintages from the Italian nation ranging from Sicily all the way up to Torino. Needless to say, the wine pairs spectacularly with the superb food, where entrees like mortadella and vitello tonnato leave customers happily stuffed.
Hours:
Sunday to Saturday, 4 pm to 10 pm
Bin Wine Bar
400 Sibley Rd, St. Paul
651-224-9463
binwinebar.com
Famous for its cool mantra, seeking to be a neighborhood hangout just as much as a fantastic wine bar, Bin doesn’t take itself too seriously but has some seriously great choices for diners and drinkers. Their famous tasting menu allows patrons to sample two-ounce pourings for just two dollars to see which of the 35 wines on Bin’s menu agree with them the most. For special occasions, the “bubbles” menu of champagnes from across the world make it fun and easy to see which variant of bubbly best tickles the tongue. While the menu doesn’t have as many options as some competitors, the simple appetizers like spicy street tacos and cheese plates make for an excellent evening combining tastes with friends or family.
Hours:
Tuesday to Saturday, 4 pm to bar close
Private parties may reserve the bar for Sunday and Monday service.