Wine

Eric Brown’s compact, tidy shop across from the Chamblee MARTA station opened last year and immediately became a darling of the city’s wine wonks. They stock some carefully chosen, often-single-vineyard California varietals, but they really put their heart into procuring obscure, Old World varietals.

Fans of Australian Shiraz2, South African Pinotage, or Argentinian Malbec will note their absence on Miller Union’s beverage roster: Co-owner Neal McCarthy, who compiles the restaurant’s list, avoids the Southern Hemisphere.

In February Perrine Prieur scooted her store in the White Provision complex one spot closer to neighbor Yeah! Burger, grabbing more storage space while maintaining the cute-as-a-clothing-boutique atmosphere.

Italian-only wine lists are on the rise throughout the city (the affordable options at Buckhead’s just-opened STG Trattoria stand out), but none yet compete with the 200-bottle compendium at Riccardo Ullio’s fourteen-year-old jewel.

The cultivated clutter, the wacky handmade signs extolling staff favorites, the way the assortment always seems one step ahead of emerging wine regions and trends: What’s not to love about Ansley Wine?

This storefront, recently under new ownership, fine-tuned its inventory to support smaller artisan winemakers like the Scholium Project’s Abe Schoener, a Greek philosophy professor turned eccentric vintner.

Dashing wine director Andreas Loaiza compiles the most egalitarian selection in town: His 250-bottle list roughly balances Old World and New World, familiar and esoteric, and prices at all tiers to please every possible taste.

This busy New American restaurant houses a small wine market stocked with reasonably priced, globally minded bottles, which you can buy to enjoy in the dining room for a $15 corkage fee.

We’re not kidding ourselves. We know the runaway success of this Inman Park outpost of a small, Connecticut-based operation is due more to the sexy rustic-chic decor and menu of fun tapas than to the amazing, eclectic wine list with more than 250 selections.

Executive chef Kevin Gillespie draws the crowds, but Woodfire’s ace service staff works tirelessly to ensure that the Woodfire experience surpasses expectations.