In 2008, Eric Asimov wrote an article for The New York Times about the rise of wine bars across the city. At the time, he wrote, there were about 130 wine bars, all cataloged on a website called nywinebarguide.com, which kept a running tab and which no longer exists. Today, it feels impossible to list all of New York’s wine bars. The city is bursting with them, and new ones open every month. But arguably nowhere in New York has welcomed more wine bars in the last decade than Brooklyn. The borough, which is geographically three times the size of Manhattan, is seemingly home to at least that number times as many wine bars—if not more—including some of the best anywhere in the world. 

 Among their very robust ranks, the following are our favorites.

Williamsburg

The Four Horsemen

The Four Horsemen is one of the most famous wine bars in the city, and has been living up to its esteemed reputation since it opened in 2015. Bridging the gap between wine bar and restaurant, it boasts a concise food menu—you could just as well order one of everything but don’t skip on their warm bread with cultured butter or the fish, usually tuna or mackerel—and one of the most extensive wine lists of natural and low-intervention wines anywhere in the city. They offer classics from all over the world, with bottles from celebrated producers including Sandlands, Chanterêves, Domaine Dandelion, and Gut Oggau, as well as newer producers like Marco Tinessa from Campania. Wine director Justin Chearno has gone to lengths to make great wine feel accessible, so if you’re having a hard time deciding what to drink, just ask your server. If you’re ordering by the glass, servers will bring over three different options and encourage you to taste each until you find something to your liking. The Four Horsemen is an intimate space with a warm, wooden motif and very limited seating, so getting a reservation can be difficult. We recommend going (very) early and putting your name down, or planning far in advance. (Disclosure: Jon Fine, the editor in chief of The New Wine Review, is an investor in The Four Horsemen.)

Sauced

Sauced is a Brooklyn classic and for good reason, although it defies pretty much all of the classic features of a wine bar: think guest DJs and an ever-present aroma of grilled cheese sandwiches. The latter is a mainstay on their food menu—a handwritten scroll which hangs on the wall by the bar. Wines by the glass change daily, and you’ll find your options chilling in the large trough by the register. If you’re coming with friends and plan to linger at one of their community tables in the backyard, you may want to opt for a bottle. They offer over 150 bottles to choose from, but you’ll have to ask one of the servers for help, as Sauced doesn’t print their wine list. 

With Others

Located directly across the street from Sauced, With Others is the newest addition to the neighborhood. It opened earlier this year by a team of women on a mission to create a space that you actually wanted to spend time in—inviting, unpretentious, and with a great wine list. They’ve successfully achieved this with their minimal design, their upscale food options, and an air of nonchalance (which also makes this a great first date spot.) They don’t accept reservations, so getting a seat feels at once highly coveted and equally comfortable. When you sit down, at either one of the small tables in the back or at the front bar, we recommend starting with their marinated olives and the Little Gem salad. They have an incisive list of wines by the glass. As a woman-owned wine bar, their bottle list focuses on female vignerons, which they spotlight on their list, including some of our favorites like Anne-Sophie Dubois of Beaujolais and Lise et Bertrand Jousset of the Loire.

Bushwick

Cherry on Top

Cherry on Top is a casual, quirky spot—which aptly suits the vibe of its neighborhood—sprung from the mind of illustrator Cerise Zelenetz. On the first floor, candle wax drips from tapers like they’ve been burning for years, the walls are decorated with hand-painted tiles, and the red tables tucked into various alcoves makes the space cozy and inviting. Head up to the second floor, which opens up to a bright space enclosed with wide windows and an outdoor patio perfect for warmer seasons. Zelentz cultivates her wine list in the way she has curated her space—organic, inviting, and erring on the side of funk. She focuses on natural wines at an affordable price and isn’t picky about region or variety. Like many places, regular updates on their seasonal wine and food offerings, chef pop-ups, and producer taker-overs appear on their Instagram. Unlike all other places, Zelentz illustrates all of the posts herself, so it’s an especially worthy follow.

Prospect Heights

LaLou

From the minds of veteran sommeliers Joe Campanale and David Foss, LaLou is the wine bar for wine lovers. The plywood and cement interior is casual and unfussy, which allows the food and wine—both excellent—to shine even brighter. Their wine list of over 400 bottles focuses on artisanal, low-intervention producers from regions all across Europe. Their wine list is so long—64 pages the last time we checked—that it has a table of contents which breaks down wines by color, country, and region. Look out for the likes of Elise Bougy, Pacalet, and Stéphane Bernaudeau, if you want to narrow it down even more. Wines by the glass (pages four and five) cover all the bases—skin contact options are listed not only by grape and region, but by length of maceration from one week up to six months—and change regularly. Although we suggest the 2021 Domaine de la Renière Chenin Blanc which, when we last went, was offered in glass and bottle. It goes well with the East Coast oysters or endive salad.

Clinton Hill / Fort Greene

Place des Fêtes

Despite its name, Place des Fêtes is a wine bar that leans strongly toward Spain. Their wine list offers tons of options from Priorat and the Canary Islands and plenty of wines made from perennial NWR fave Xarel·lo. The menu continues in the theme—tapas-style meat and fish, served with Spanish olive oil. From the same team behind the Michelin-starred Oxalis, Place de Fêtes takes the same upscale approach to an otherwise casual institution with an unusually smart take on the now-familiar wine bar aesthetics—a wood-laden interior with low ceilings and dim lighting, making it equally perfect as a special occasion destination and neighborhood spot. The bar, with great views of their open kitchen, is great for date night where as the long tables in the back attract big groups for dinner. To be sure, despite the Spanish theme, wines on their list from California, France, Canada, and Vermont are equally worthy of your attention. During a recent visit, NWR staffers enjoyed 2022 Cellar 9+ 4T—made entirely from the Sumoll grape and aged for nine months in clay amphorae—and the 2022 Domaine Emmanuel Haget Clos Messemé. And definitely don’t skip their crispy maitake mushroom with black garlic fudge.

Rhodora

Rhodora set out to be the first carbon neutral wine bar in New York, with a great wine list to boot. And while we cannot confirm or deny whether they’re delivering on the former, we can certainly verify the latter. From the group behind June—self-proclaimed as Brooklyn’s first natural wine bar (as with the carbon neutral thing, another claim we can’t substantiate)—Rhodora opened in the fall of 2019 and retains the vibe of perpetual autumn: cozy, rustic, like something you might find upstate. The wine list encompasses every major region—as well as less commonly seen ones like Mallorca and Mexico. Tapas-style bites are locally sourced and seasonal but we recommend following them on Instagram to stay ahead of upcoming chef pop-ups, which rotate regularly. 

Bed-Stuy

Frog

Frog is where you want to be on a Friday night. Walking into its dim, eclectic interior feels like walking into your local dive bar with a long, dark bar in the center and a pool table in the back. Further back is an open air backyard where bistro and picnic style tables are shaded by the canopy of a large tree. Their mission was to create a space you want to linger in, so expect dive bar pricing, too, or at least pricing far gentler than other wine bars on this list: most bottles are less than $75, and glass pours are on offer for $14 or $15. Frog doesn’t have a website, let alone a standing wine list—their selection constantly changes—but expect that options will be interesting and accessible like Früg, a Grüner Veltliner blend from Austria, or selections from Roussillon’s Domaine Lampyres. You can also check out their sister spot, Tadpole, which just opened down the street.