The Wine Down is Charleston's first true wine bar that specializes in a curated wine list, relaxed atmosphere and small bites. The space is designed to feel more like a living room than a bar, with sofas, accent chairs, and eclectic décor. Deep-colored walls, vintage mirrors, and small seating areas create a chill vibe. The wine list is "thoughtfully selected to be approachable, affordable, and simply enjoyable. Explore crisp, refreshing whites or rich, smooth reds," reads the website. White wines include: PINOT GRIGIO, SAUVIGNON BLANC, CHARDONNAY, MOSCATO and REISLING. Red wines include: PINOT NOIR, RED BLEND, CABERNET SAUVIGNON, and CAYMUS. They also offer prosecco and rose, in addition to mead, beer, non-alcoholic beer and sparkling water. I enjoyed a moscato and the "HOLDOVER," which is a personal charcuterie featuring an assortment of cured meats, cheeses, olives, dried fruit & chocolate. It’s essentially a place to decompress —whether that means a casual date night, catching up with friends, or just enjoying a quiet glass of wine at the end of the day. Grade: A

And on this episode of me eating my way through Wheeling, I visited The Market Vines Wine Bar & Grille. This restaurant is located in the Centre Market area of town, which is one of my absolute favorite areas with all the little shops, boutiques and restaurants.

Market Vines is actually fairly small, with a bar and few high-tops at the entrance, and a few lower tables toward the back. It's mostly one open space with basic features and furnishings. Less of a wine bar, more of a simple restaurant that also serves wine.

The menu has a few options: deep-fried appetizers (pickles, cheese balls, zucchini, onion petals, breaded ravioli, etc.), chicken wings, salads, wraps, burgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches (including Coleman's Fish!).

So, I ordered the bacon cheeseburger:

The Wine Valley, located in Hurricane, is a tapas restaurant and wine bar wedged in a strip mall. But once you walk inside, it's like you've been transported to a very posh, hip city free from outside influences.

I truly mean that. When we walked inside, it was warm and had an intimate vibe. Dark woods, green ivy and an extensive wine list graced our table.

The sommelier was on his game, checking on us and offering wine suggestions. I ultimately decided on the Ala Vecchia, Vermentino, Tuscany Italy, 2013. Why? Well, I didn't know what a Vermentino was, it didn't look too dry or too sweet, and it wasn't too cheap or expensive. Seemed pretty middle of the road, and it was a great decision. I loved this glass of wine. A perfect balance, just like I thought.

Let's talk food. We ordered a cheese platter with Stilton Mango, Benadictine, Perrano and Belletoile Brie complete with dates, grapes and crackers.

Each of these were so, so good. The mango was sweet, while the brie was creamy. Plus the sharper cheeses mixed with a nice crisp cracker or sweet fruit. It was just phenomenal. I think I could live on wine and cheese for the rest of my life. Oh, and maybe ice cream.

But seriously, go here. Quickly.


Grade: A

The Wine Bar at Vintner Valley, located on Burroughs Street, is a new establishment located in a quaint cobblestone cottage that you could mistake for a home, rather than a swanky bar. It's open in the evenings, and parking is located around the back of the building. And when you walk inside, it's a different environment. It's dark, posh and sleek with old money folks. A long bar is located to the left, a few high-top tables litter the center, and some leather chairs dot the right side. My friends and I took a table in the middle and looked over the menu. Thank god I didn't wear yoga pants today.


I confess that I'm not a wine connoisseur; I prefer sweet whites. That's not the most sophisticated, I know. But hey, it is what it is. From the wine list, I ordered a glass of Conquista Moscato, Argentina, 2011, which happened to be sparkling. For $9, it was moderately priced, but it was gooooood. Good if you want a sweet wine that tastes similar to apple juice. I did. And it was glorious.

The menu isn't huge, but they have some snack sorts - a few appetizers, pizzas and salad. I ordered the classico bruschetta - slice baguette with melted mozzarella and provolone cheese with tomato, basil, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Kaitlynn got a meat and cheese plate - you choose at least three items (cheese or meat) - so she got the gouda, brie, chorizo and prosciutto. It also came with some crackers, grapes, bread, figs and olives. Josh ordered the pizza bianca - olive oil, garlic, roma tomatoes, provolone and mozarella cheese.

We did a little swapping so that we could all try a little of each. My bruschetta was pretty good - the bread was delicious because it was toasted to perfection and had melted cheese all over it. The tomato mixture was pretty good too, but I could've used just a little more balsamic on it.
Kaitlynn's meat and cheese plate was pretty cool just because of the variety. It was fun, had these cute markers and can tailor it to your specific tastes. I liked the chorizo and gouda the best, but what can I say, I just enjoy really good cheese.

Josh's pizza wasn't bad either. It was oil-based, rather than marinara-based, so it's a little lighter. It was tasty, though, tomatoes were fresh, and had some good seasoning.

For dessert, I tried a ricotta cheesecake. You can get the typical vanilla, or you can opt for chocolate. It wasn't bad, either. It's thicker, not "creamy" like a cream cheese-based version. It's thicker, crumbly even. And a raspberry sauce was drizzled over top. It was good. Mind-blowing? Nah, but it was alright.

The service was great here (she even recognized me!), the good was good, and the experience is just fun. It's a little different. It made me feel like I was playing dress up a little bit, and we felt fancy with the wine list. I think it's a nice change from the norm, and if you're a wine expert (or even beer!), it's a welcome addition.

Check 'em out on Facebook.

Grade: B