Tasting time: Top wine bars

Abigail Street’s mostly Mediterranean menu takes inspiration from all over, but it fits easily into the new Vine Street scene. You’ll find wine on tap, plenty of flight options and an extensive list of bottles.

The Dilly Café prides itself on its wine selection and tastes and is always looking for great new selections to off their customers. Dilly offers a variety of whites and reds by the glass and all of their selections can be ordered by the bottle as well. Try one from California, Oregon, Washington, Italy, Spain, France or Argentina. The Café has a great selection of small plates and appetizers to pair with your wine or choose one of their new lunch and dinner items, such as Dilly Cafe beer cheese and a Village Concord salad.

Consider Marty's a near-Jungle Jim's wine selection with neighborhood quaintness. It also features a small menu, weekend live music and an eclectic crowd ranging from patrons in their 20s to 70s.

If you love a good glass of wine, why go to any ol' bar? Piccolo is a bar specializing in wines and is located next to the Piazza Discepoli in Glendale. They offer an extensive wine menu along with unique cocktails and beers, including a certified organic brew. They serve finger food like Mediterranean olives, hummus and a cheese board. They also added a menu of tapas, small plates priced $4-$9.

20 Brix is a wine bar, restaurant and retail store that prides itself on the quality and selection of its wine list. With the menu changing for each season, you're bound to find flavorful dishes or grab a taste of one of the thin crust, bistro-style pizzas. Bring home a bottle of your favorite taste from the on-site retail store after one of their wine and beer tastings.

The Wine Guy Bistro, opened in November 2010, is a big, beautiful place with wooden tables and squishy seats and bottles of wine lining the walls. It's candle-lit and cozy and would be a great date spot if you're into that sort of thing. The Wine Guy's menu allows you to order tapas-sized portions of most of the entrees. It's an American bistro concept with items like cajun scallops, chicken marsala and spicy shrimp pasta. Their flight menus are updated four times a year.

This friendly and comfortable wine bar is ideal for an evening out full of cocktails or drinks and food. Their wine list boasts more than 200 wines and they have at least a half dozen small plates that pair well with the wine selections. In the fall they have planned a bunch of special events which include: Business Night Out on the last Monday of every month from 6:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.; “Phat Tuesday” with Dawn Bosan & Mike Night from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Booze and Blues on Wednesdays; Wine Tastings on Thursdays with a complimentary cheese flight from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and Live music from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Southbound Station from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays. Ladies Night on Saturdays with wine tasting and complimentary chocolate from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Looking for really impress your wine-loving date? Try Bouquet, located in Mainstrasse, which offers a fresh, seasonal menu paired with countless national and international wines, including sparkling and dessert wines. You can pair your wine with a cheese plate, small plate or entrée items that rotate seasonally. Please your budget on Wednesdays with half-off select wine bottles all night and half-price small plates from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday. Bouquet also has wine tastings once a month, which they post on their Web site.

Awakenings in Hyde Park is more than just a coffeehouse. Awakenings has hundreds of wine bottles available and offers come-as-you-are wine tastings from 6-10 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. The tasting choices are usually grouped by region or grape varietal and typically include one white and three reds. Average price for a tasting is $12-$16, which includes 3 oz pours of four wines, plus a cheese plate. No need for a reservation, but you should call ahead for groups of four or more.

A Bottle or Two is a store and wine bar with a casual, café-in-a-bookstore feel to it. And just like a bookstore, you can try before you buy. Daily tastings happen all day: They put 15 red and white wines up and you can buy a taste (1.5 oz to 2 ounces), glass or a sample (a small pour for 50 cents). Their Thirsty Thursdays run 4 p.m.-8 p.m. with five wine tastes for $5. Formal wine tastings ($30) take place on most Fridays at 7 p.m. These catered, sit-down tastings require reservations and include a food pairing with each of the four to five wines. You’ll get some education, too: They present the wine, talk about it and then explain the food pairing.