Tastemaker Awards

10 best restaurants in Dallas for a glass (or bottle) of wine in 2022

Who has the best wine in town.

Courtesy photo

Let's raise a glass to the 2022 CultureMap Dallas Tastemaker Awards, our annual celebration shining a light on the city's top culinary talent.

Dallas' best food & beverage professionals and institutions have been nominated by a panel of judges consisting of former CultureMap Tastemaker Award winners and local F&B experts, in categories such as Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year, Bar of the Year, Best New Pizza, Bartender of the Year, Brewery of the Year, Pastry Chef, and Rising Star Chef.

There's also the Best New Restaurant of 2022, a bracket-style tournament that readers get to decide; to vote, click here.

Winners will be revealed at our Tastemaker Awards party on May 12 at Fashion Industry Gallery, emceed by comedian CJ Starr, when attendees get to dine on bites from nominated restaurants and find out what the buzz is all about. (Tickets are on sale here.)

This entry pays tribute to the top wine programs in town. They include everything from wine lists with a special focus to places with a strong by-the-glass program to places with exclusive labels you won't find anywhere else.

Here are our nominees for 2022 Wine Program of the Year:

Postino Deep Ellum
Phoenix-based chain made its Dallas debut with this location in Deep Ellum which opened in 2021 with a menu of bites and shareable dishes. With about 30 options, its wine list is not huge, but what's most notable is that each is available not only by the bottle but also by the glass.

Villa Azur Dallas
Glamorous restaurant from Miami resides at the W Hotel in Victory Park with an extensive wine selection and menu of French-Mediterranean food that's almost easy to get lost beneath the glitzy party vibe. The wine list has big bottles at big prices, but its notable trait — perhaps unsurprisingly, given its whole party vibe — is its big selection of sparkling wines.

Monarch
Restaurant at the National building in downtown Dallas is a wood-fired modern Italian concept imagined by Michelin chef Danny Grant and team. The restaurant is famous for its elegant space and expansive views as well as its pasta, steaks, and seafood — with a steakhouse-style wine list to match. If you're looking to splurge on a showpiece bottle, this is the place to do it in 2022.

Homewood Dallas
Highly rated restaurant from acclaimed chef Matt McCallister has a secret weapon in its wine program, overseen by sommelier Lauren Loiselle which many wine lovers say is the best in town. It's recognized for its selection, from natural wines to cool wines from non-obvious locations such as New York, as well as the way the selections pair so agreeably with the menu. It's also dynamic and ever-changing, with new labels regularly rotated in.

Sister
Buzzy Italian on Greenville Avenue boasts a one-of-a-kind wine list with Italian treasures that make for synchronous pairing with the food. That includes wines from Puglia, Piedmont, Sicily, and Tuscany, with a few surprises thrown in such as a merlot from Napa Valley. The by-the-glass selection is plentiful, from Drappier Champagne from France to vermentino from Tuscany to sangiovese by Casanova di Neri Irrosso, accessibly priced from $11 to $24 per glass.

Neighborhood Cellar
Bishop Arts wine shop and wine bar offers wine by the glass, flights, tastings, charcuterie, and snacks, plus a wine club and natural wines. Their merchandise includes really special bottles and the prices are not outrageous, with a majority of options in the $20-$25 range. They have quite a few sparkling options ranging from Cava to Frizzante, subtly fizzy pinks and reds from Italy.

Trova Wine + Market
Cozy, stylish wine shop and bar features wines from around the world, as well as a small menu of local and artisanal food stuffs. They're constantly adding intriguing wines from around the world such as Aperture Chenin Blanc, from the North Coast of San Francisco Bay, vibrant with notes of passion fruit, nectarines, and honeysuckle, and available not only by the bottle, but also by the glass.

Boulevardier
Oak Cliff restaurant comes from good wine stock: It's a sibling to Veritas Wine Room, which won the 2021 Tastemaker Award for Best Wine Program, and owners Brooks and Bradley Anderson are oenophiles who seek uncommon labels at a variety of price points. Boulevardier has 18 by-the-glass options a well as a special section of limited bottles such as the 2016 Alsace Grand Cru Riesling by Domaine Paul Blanck and the 2015 Napa Valley Opus One proprietary red.

Clink Wine Bar
Flower Mound resident and sommelier Laura Black opened this wine-centric spot in 2020 to celebrate the community aspect of wine, something to be shared with family or friends while enjoying moments big and small. Clink's approach to wine is extremely user-friendly with 10 wines on tap, plus 11 wine flights identified by terms such as "Go Big and Bold" and "Interesting Whites." The food menu is totally supportive with charcuterie boards, flatbreads, and snacks.

Written By The Seasons
Fine-dining chef-driven restaurant in Oak Cliff's Bishop Arts serves market-driven dishes using seasonal ingredients. The wine selection is carefully constructed, as well, with many natural wines and boutique options such as Clovis Cotes Du Rhône, a biodynamic French Southern Rhône blend made by a fifth-generation father & son that's a light-medium body vino with bright red fruit expressions of cherry, raspberry, pomegranate & red currant.

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Global tastes

New botanería pairs drinks with free bites near Dallas Farmers Market

Chef Karla Soria Palomino's menu delivers authentic Mexican flavors and bold heat.

Photo credit: Paul Torres.

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There is a novel concept open in the Dallas Farmers Market district: Called Sor Juana, it's a botanería inspired by traditional Mexican establishments where drinks are served alongside complimentary snacks and bar bites.

Located at 1908 Canton St., the space provides an immersion into Mexican culture through its food, beverages, decor, and overall atmosphere.

Sor Juana comes from Alexandra Hernández and Karla Soria Palomino. Hernández brings a background in front-of-house hospitality, theatre, and events while Soria Palomino contributes extensive kitchen experience from restaurants across Mexico and Dallas.

The inspiration behind the name and concept comes from 17th-century nun and scholar Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. Recognized as the "First Feminist of the Americas," she was a literary trailblazer who learned to read and write during an era when women were denied an education. Considered one of the greatest poets of the Baroque period in what is now Mexico, Sor Juana defied societal norms, stood up to the male-dominated clergy, and excelled in science, mathematics, music, and culinary arts.

“We wanted to pick a strong woman from Mexico as the emblematic figure of our botanería — traditionally run and frequented only by men,” Hernández says. “With our women-run botanería, which is a unique concept for Dallas, we are creating a space for everyone.”

The frame for their idea is a landmark Dallas building originally constructed over a century ago for the Desco Tile Company. Designed in a Venetian Gothic style with exterior arches and columns, the interior features original chandeliers alongside decorative, colorful tilework — including a wall fountain, a fireplace, and terrazzo floors — all preserved intact for Sor Juana, with a few new tile accents added to the bathrooms and bar backdrop.

Historic Dallas architecture meets traditional Mexican hospitality at Sor Juana.Photo credit: Paul Torres

“We tried to respect the architecture of the building by adjusting our concept to the space, rather than forcing the space to adjust to us,” Hernández says.

The duo worked with interior designer Callie Windle on the details, sourcing decorative pieces from artists both in Mexico and locally (many of which are available for purchase).

The 90-seat venue features comfortable seating centered around a dynamic bar program managed by Saúl Hernández (previously of Midnight Rambler, La Viuda Negra, and Las Almas Rotas).

True to the hospitality spirit of a traditional botanería, patrons receive a complimentary botana (bar bite) with every drink purchase. While the offerings rotate regularly to maintain an element of surprise, options range from spiced nuts, fresh fruit, and popcorn to more substantial plates like tacos and caldo de camarón.

The creative cocktail menu ranges from $12 to $16, anchored by their signature “La Nueva Sangre” — an orange blossom gin cocktail balanced with beet juice, lemon, passion fruit, and lavender bitters. Hernández notes the drink is “as complex and interesting, with a little bit of everything, just as Sor Juana was.”

The bar also pours Mexican imports alongside local favorites Shiner and Michelob for $7, wines, and zero-proof options including non-alcoholic champagne.

Happy hour runs Wednesday through Friday from 5:30-7:30 pm, featuring $6 beers, $8 wines, and $8 cocktails infused with house-made Mexican chili oil macha sauce.

Beyond the complimentary botanas, the venue offers a full food menu designed by Chef Soria Palomino. It comes with a playful warning: “Expect bold flavors and a little heat — that’s what the cerveza is for.” Signature items include ceviche, mezcal-glazed wings, tacos, and tostadas, all centered on authentic Mexican flavor profiles.

For dessert, they feature a ganzote crafted by Diana Zamora of Nena Postrería, inspired by the classic packaged Gansito sponge cake.

Community events play a major role in the space, including lotería nights, "Bring Your Own Vinyl" Sundays, and rotating local DJs every other Friday. The team is actively taking community feedback to build out future programming, including upcoming collaborative dinner series.

“Events are a way to build community and bring people together,” Hernández says. “When we started crafting this concept, we looked at every detail — from the playlist to the food and cocktails, as we wanted a total experience where every element comes together and complements the rest.”

Sor Juana is open 2-10 pm Wednesday-Thursday 12 pm-12 pm Friday-Saturday, 12-10 pm Sunday. Metered street parking is enforced until 6 pm, with free parking available afterward.