First Place: Secco Wine Bar

2933 W. Cary St.
355-1375
seccowinebar.com

Second Place: Buckhead's Restaurant and Chophouse

Third Place: The Wine Loft

If every wine has a personality, Secco Wine Bar knows how to make friends bottle by bottle. And the staff — personalities in their own right — delight in making matches between grapes and guests. Surprises are the rule at this cozy Carytown destination for culinary adventures — a well-priced vintage, a rare and unusual bottle, or a wine flavor that begs to be paired with fine food. Chef Tim Bereika's kitchen celebrates the art of nuance, and ably supports the bar's changing and well-chosen list. At the luxury end of the spectrum, the traditional steakhouse Buckhead's in the West End has some of the finest wines in Richmond and a clientele that loves to order them. With a 700-plus list this serious, the food needs to match, and through the years this quiet enclave shows it delivers. The Wine Loft brings people and vino together in Short Pump, and the results can be bold and lusty or smooth and romantic. Its 75 wines by the glass and 250 by the bottle offer a taste of the good life to a see-and-be-seen clientele that loves the swanky setting and lively vibe.