Top Wine Bars in Dayton, Ohio

There is nothing better than a great glass of wine, but when it comes to choosing a wine I have discriminating taste. I can direct you to not only the best in red wines, but I will point you in the direction of the top wine bars in Dayton, Ohio. You will know where they are, what's hot, the price of the top two wines at those bars and what they are like.

The Wine Gallery and Café
The Wine Gallery is more than wine, it is also a café or as some locals refer to it; a bistro. Located on Monument Avenue in Dayton, Ohio the Wine Gallery and Café is open for lunch, but is best known for its offerings later in the day coupled with wine and beer. The wine can be sampled on Wednesday evenings when they feature their wine tastings, and it gives you a chance to try varieties that you normally wouldn't taste.

At the gallery, I have tried the 2005 Northstar Merlot and the 2004 Turning Leaf Cabernet Sauvignon. The Northstar is deep in color, full-bodied and a little on the tart side, but what you would expect of a Merlot. The Turning Leaf is slightly lighter in color, a medium bodied wine that is reminiscent of a berry patch, and a little on the tart side. These wines have a similar fragrance, indicative of a red wine, but not strong on the berry notes. The Northstar wine comes from Washington state and is served at many inns there. A bottle of Northstar is usually $15 a bottle. The Turning Leaf Cabernet comes from California, and usually goes for $8 a bottle.

The Wine Loft
The Wine Loft is undoubtedly the place to go in the Dayton area, located in premier shopping block known as "The Greene". The expectation of the Wine Loft was highly anticipated in 2009 as the construction was continuing with shops and restaurants being added. Not only is the Wine Loft for those with discriminating taste but it was voted "Most Romantic Restaurant", with an ambience that speaks romance, flavor, and an intimate setting with small plates, and a wide variety of wines ranging from $25 all the way up to $200.

One surprising wine I tried here was the Sokol Blosser Evolution white blend, which goes for around $18 per bottle. I am not much on white red because I do prefer reds, but this was one of the more flavorful white wines I have tried, with a hint of sweetness. It has more of a golden tint to it like sparkling cider, and was simply delightful going down, not burning the throat but pleasing in every way. The St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc was also another pleasant surprise; not because I fell in love with it, but because it wasn't as dry as what I was expecting. I go into all white wines expecting dry but I got another hint of sweetness that was much more subtle than the Blosser, and had a hint more of an alcohol flavor to it. Some tend to have that "alcohol" taste more than the grape you want to experience, but overall it was pleasant surprise for a white, for a fair price of $9 per bottle.

Savona Restaurant and Wine Bar
Savona is another great location for those with discriminating taste, and is located in Centerville which is just minutes east of Dayton. Savona is a great restaurant but has some impressive offerings in wine. Tuesday through Thursday they offer half price wines, so if you are wanting to try out something new this is the time to get it. The mission behind this wine bar is that food and wine should be paired perfectly, but that wine should also lift the spirit of its own accord.

The red wine I had to try was the Albino Rocco Barbaresco, and for $105 per bottle I won't buy it often but I couldn't resist. It is grown from a specific grape called the Nebbiolo grape and is lighter in flavor than what I would have expected for such a high price. This wine is similar in flavor to the Barolo wine which is made from the same grape, but isn't as strong. It is more red than burgundy in color, and goes down very lightly with a pungent fragrance from its grape.

I also tried one of the house wines known as Borsao Rose, which comes from Campo de Borja, Spain. This wine is typical of a Rose, so it's lighter in color than most red wines, and has a light bodied flavor to it. It's a good basic red wine, and has a very fair price. This wine is light on the palate and goes down light and smooth with a light red grape fragrance, all for $22 a bottle.