On my latest East Coast road trip I happened upon the most unexpected wine oasis in Hampton, New Jersey?!  In 2021 Chris Cree, New Jersey's only Master of Wine, established this incredible wine bar in his home town which has subsequently earned Wine Spectator awards.  His mission:  To make wine more enjoyable, accessible and less intimidating.  This wine bar hits all metrics on my Wine Bar checklist: The quality and geographic diversity of wines; the number of by-the-glass options; the food; the experienced/engaging staff; the atmosphere. 

I chose a White Burgundy flight from one of their 16 different flight options.  This flight included an Aligoté and two Chardonnay wines, one from Côtes de Nuits and one from Côtes de Beaune.  What a great, educational side-by-side comparison tasting.  Other flights included red burgundy, Rhône varietals, Spain & Portugal, Bordeaux, Orange wines, Rosé wines, sweet wines, and premium whites and reds.  I could spend an entire weekend there, calling it an "Educational Weekend"!  They also offer all these wines in individual 1, 2, 3 and 6 oz pours, perfect for enjoying and learning about all these different wine selections.  All wines are available by the bottle, and are charged a flat $35 fee above the retail price, versus restaurants which add a 200% + markup on their wines.

Cree Wine Company offers a selection of small plates along with suggested wine pairings.  We had a charcuterie board and also the toasted sourdough with warm ricotta, garlic evoo and rosemary.  Larger plate options are available in the wine bar, or go to their separate restaurant area for a full dinner.

On my final quality wine bar metrics, regarding the atmosphere and staff:  all the staff were very approachable and engaging, including Chris Cree who was available and came to chat with us.  As a Master of Wine, he clearly knows his wine but was very fun, informative and unpretentious, wanting everyone to learn about and enjoy his wine selections.  The wine bar itself was a beautiful space, filled with large format artwork, hip (but quiet) background music, and clean, modern, comfortable seating areas.  Did I mention I could spend an entire weekend here?

I've been on countless long road trips in my life and this experience is a classic example of why I love them - the most interesting and unexpected people, places and experiences you happen upon that were not planned.  Please add the Cree Wine Company to your must-visit destinations!

On our weekend escape to the quiet Virginia countryside, the Tremolo Bar was an incredible find in this small, historic town of Middleburg.  Jarad Slipp, a Master Somm who has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, including Gordon Ramsay in London, and who also earned a degree from the Culinary Institute of America, created this unique wine bar in 2022.  Tremolo is a dichotomy; a first-class wine bar with over 70 wines by the glass, paired with small bites, each a culinary masterpiece, in a beautiful space, yet at the same time casual, relaxing, and unpretentious.  It's a perfect respite mid-day, taking a break from local shopping, or in the evening, enjoying the peace of the countryside, in fine style.

A great wine bar is focused on the by-the-glass wine list.  Jarad says, "We're pouring wines that you don't find anywhere in the world by the glass, but I do it because it's cool and interesting to me."  Love that!  From discussions with their experienced, friendly staff, we selected several unique glasses of wine from the massive wine list which, in addition to the sparkling/white/red sections, included sections for "Baller White Wine (Mostly Burgundy)", "Baller Red Wine", and "Fortified / Stickies".  Selections are also available by the bottle at Tremolo, and by the bottle at his wine shop down the street, "Knead Wine", so named as apparently it's the best place in town to get a fabulous carry-out pizza. 

The food menu has a vast selection of small plate options, from lighter snacks and charcuterie, to vegetables and more substantial meat and seafood.  For fun, we ordered the white and black truffle popcorn to pair with our white wine, and then an amazing Hanger Steak with Chimichurri sauce with a glass of red.  Though a more substantial item on the menu, the steak was served as manageable, small plate slices.  I'm still fondly remembering today the taste of that delectable sauce. 

Pretty great life in the peaceful countryside, drinking fine wine, paired with 5-star culinary food, in a clean, casual, minimalistic decor bar, with Steely Dan and Bob Seger music playing quietly in the background.  Make Tremolo Bar your next destination spot, with also a nod to the exquisite Salamander Resort for your overnight stay.

Finding a true wine focused bar in Boston was more difficult than anticipated, until we got to the Nathálie Wine Bar.  As soon as we entered, we knew a great experience was finally waiting for us.  Nathálie has a local, hip vibe, their wine focus is on small production, natural and female-owned wineries, and they are known for their unique "half-bottle" concept. Order any bottle from their extensive wine list, and if you only drink half of it, you only pay half the price!  This concept also allows for many off-menu, by-the-glass options depending on what half-bottles have been ordered that day.  What a great idea!

We lined up on the barstools and, after learning about Nathálie's half-bottle concept pace-of-play, we started with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from Slovakia and sat back to people watch and enjoy the cool vibe of this place.  Nathálie is located in the vibrant Fenway area of Boston with a diverse crowd.  On this Wednesday afternoon, into the bar came a group of college students on a "pub golf" crawl.  Not the typical clientele for Nathálie's, which previously felt more like a quiet escape on a weekday afternoon, but the staff handled it tremendously, opening a bottle of wine for the group, ensuring they had a good time, and then on to the next bar they went, relatively quickly.  Everyone had a good laugh. 

The focus here is on the very diverse wine list, with offerings of sparkling (including a sparkling Korean rice wine), whites, reds, several orange wines, rosé wines, and fortified wines.  It was a fun list to pour through, and the staff had great knowledge of each wine.  Though the focus is on the wine, the small food plate offerings deserve a special note.  Chef Isaac Reyes has created an amazing menu of small snacks, charcuterie, vegetables, and the most delectable hot items like "Sexy Hashbrowns" with yogurt, caviar and chives, "Slow-Roasted Pork Empanadas", with guava-fresno chili jam; "Lamb Meatballs"; and "Steak Skewers"; something for every person and to pair with every wine.   

Additional Expert Reviews of the Bar and Owner:  Owner Haley Fortier opened the Nathálie Wine Bar in 2018 and has since received much local and national recognition.  Haley was recognized by Food & Wine Magazine as one of 2019's Somms of the Year.  The Nathálie Wine Bar has been recognized by the James Beard Foundation as a semifinalist for Best Wine Program, along with additional awards from Food & Wine Magazine, Imbibe Magazine, Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, and others.  Credit also to Katherine Stevens, the General Manager we met on our visit, who was a great source of positive energy and an experienced, and supportive hospitality leader for her team.

Next time you're in Boston, add Nathálie Wine Bar to your list of great wine bars to visit!