New wine bars in Manhattan are cropping up like hedge funds these days, from rustic enclaves on the Lower East Side to elegant lounges adjacent to five-star restaurants. By-the-glass prices range from US$7 to US$20 and nibbles such as home-cured olives, artisanal farmhouse cheese and dinner plates typically cost from US$5 to US$28.
Enoteca I Trulli
122 East 27th Street (itrulli.com)
Sophisticated Enoteca I Trulli offers a 100 per cent Italian wine list of hidden gems. Cosy and candle-lit, I Trulli is romantic at the tables and social at the bar. Try the wine- taster option When in Roma, which contrasts three red varietals, or sip a glass of exotic Cannonau Anzenas 2004 from Sardinia (US$11). Food plates range from house-cured olives (US$5) to stewed veal with potato and mushroom (US$16).
Morrell Wine Bar Cafe
One Rockefeller Plaza (48th Street near 5th Avenue) (morrellwinebar.com)
This bustling midtown bar offers a staggering 150 premium wines by the glass and 2,000 wines by the bottle. Sip a glass of NV Paul Goerg 1er Cru Blanc de Blanc (US$17) or share a bottle of Joel Gott Zinfandel 2001 (US$36) with a friend at an outside table. Order the daily selection of Morrell's domestic and imported artisanal cheeses (US$15) at the bar or enjoy full table service, with dinner offerings such as cremini crusted halibut with asparagus fettucini (US$28).
