A Toast to Tastings: The Haute 5 Wine and Charcuterie Bars in NYC

The clocks have been turned forward and spring has sprung. And with that extra hour of daylight, there is a little more time to linger over a leisurely glass of wine.

Bar Boulud

From the minute one enters Daniel Boulud’s wine bar, it is clear he is serious about wine. The space itself is designed to evoke a wine cellar; even the furniture is crafted from white oak used to make wine barrels. However, don’t let the impressive selection of Burgundy and Rhône Valley varietals deceive you. The food at Bar Boulud is just as important—and delicious—as the wine. A charcuterie bar, created by famed Parisian Charcutier Giles Verot, is unparalleled and the rest of Boulud’s menu does not disappoint.

Bar Boulud is located at 1900 Broadway; 212.595.0303

Wine and Roses

Husband-and-wife team Jennifer and Todd Klein, opened Wine and Roses to fulfill their dream to bring a grown-up bar to their Upper West Side Neighborhood. Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast have both honored the wine bar, which boats a cellar of 2,500 bottles from origins as diverse as Europe, North and South America, Australia, and New Zealand. Roses and candles are balanced out by the game playing quietly on the flat screen in the background. The resulting ambiance is romantic and elegant while remaining understated. Brooke Shields, Steven Tyler and Saturday Night Live cast members have been known to stop by and relish in the low-key atmosphere.

Wine and Roses is located at 286 Columbus Avenue; 212.579.9463

Clo Wine Bar

Clo Wine Bar just may be the wine bar of the future. Sommelier Andrew Bradbury wanted to created a space like no other and came up with a tech-savvy concept. First, choose from 100 options on the touch screen menu on your table. Then purchase a tasting with your debit “Clo Card.” Next, watch as a Star Trek-worthy machine pours your drink for you. Finally, sip your wine as you take in the fantastic view.

Clo Wine Bar is located 10 Columbus Circle, on the fourth floor of the Time Warner Center; 212.823.9898

Bar Veloce

Bar Veloce is a small space with a casual yet hip ambiance. However, the wooden bar and walls lined with bottles take a back seat to what is being served. Knowledgeable bartenders are happy to help patrons choose from the nicely composed menu of Italian wines. The drinks are matched by equally delicious paninis and other snacks. Bar Veloce’s East Village location is the smallest, which makes for lots of busy mingling around the bar. We recommend the Chelsea and Soho locations for table seating that allows a little more time to chat. However, the bar’s name means speed in Italian, and Bar Veloce is not the place to linger for hours. Rather, it is meant to be one stop to savor among many.

Bar Veloce is located at 176 7^th Avenue in Chelsea, 17 Cleveland Place in Soho and 175 Second Avenue in the East Village.

I Trulli

I Trulli is – dare we say it – truly a pleasure. With close to 500 labels on the strictly Italian wine list, oenophiles will not be left wanting for options. The emphasis is on wines from Southern Italy and I Trulli’s selection of Pugliese wines is reputed as the best in the city. When the Marzovilla family opened I Trulli 15 years ago, they were responsible for introducing Pugliese wine from their native Apulian region to New York. Go for the wine, but stay to sample the restaurant’s authentic Southern Italian cuisine on the lovely outdoor terrace.

I Trulli is at located at 122 East 27^th Street; 212.481.7372