By the Glass

Baltimore's crop of wine bars gets better all the time. Here's where you can get a taste.

Focus on the Bar Scene

One of the most civilized trends to come along in the new millennium is wine bars. Suddenly theyM-Fre everywhere. Last December a new one, Grand Cru, opened in Belvedere Square. It was followed last month by the Wine Market, a wine bar, cafe and retail shop, which opened in Locust Point. And a new wine bar is part of the current renovations at DonnaM-Fs in Cross Keys.

Besides the places that label themselves wine bars, just about every good restaurant these days offers an impressive selection of wines by the glass at its bar. The most spectacular local examples are Charleston and Petit Louis, under the direction of wine expert Tony Foreman, who is also co-owner of Bin 604 Wine Sellers. Still, they are restaurants first and foremost. (We had to draw the line somewhere.)

The following are self-proclaimed wine bars where you can get interesting wines by the glass, and plenty of them. The selections are often idiosyncratic, which is good if you like to experiment. Those bars that are also retail shops will serve you a bottle at the retail price plus a reasonable corkage fee. Several offer flights, a few ounces of several different wines to compare. They are like tastings, only more fun because you donM-Ft spit out the wine.

Best of all, wine bars are very convivial spots. You never find someone brooding and drinking himself into a lonely stupor. Food is often an important part of the experience; all the places listed offer more than the usual bar munchies. The food did affect how we felt about them, although not as much as the wines offered, the atmosphere, and whether smoking is allowed.

Chesapeake Wine Co.

2400 Boston St., No. 112, 410-522-4556

This place has a patina and lots of minimalist style, a sort of urban shabby chic. The small bar is planted squarely in the middle of the retail shop, with a few bar tables surrounding it. Chesapeake is more neighborhood hangout than wine-geek heaven, but we loved the menu of 20 wines by the glass that changes weekly, the range of styles in each type, and the fact that there are always four sparkling wines available by the glass and three or four dessert wines. We didnM-Ft love the smoking, including one guy who lit up a cigar at the bar.

FlemingM-Fs Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

720 Aliceanna St., 410-332-1666