Finding the best wine shops in America is no easy task. In last year’s guide, we spoke to over 60 wine professionals—winemakers, sommeliers, shopkeepers and writers—to find the top stores in the country. This year, we’re getting even more specific.
Why, we wondered, might a person go to a brick-and-mortar wine shop and (gasp!) talk to someone when they can just buy bottles online?
Because today’s wine shops are changing. New COVID-era regulations allowed restaurants to sell wine to-go, opening up opportunities for bars and eateries to expand into retail. Far from being rooms stacked with endless bottles, completely mystifying to the consumer, many wine shops today float within the grocery, restaurant, venue and even bookstore categories.
Our 2023 shops are information hubs and community centers. They open windows into local wine regions, introducing…
