Ambrosia Bistro & Wine Bar If you want to get your night off to a classy start, try Ambrosia. They have an inventive dinner menu to select from, a hefty wine list and an award of excellence from Wine Spectator to back it up. Or choose a champagne cocktail or martini to get things started. 9211 E. Montgomery Ave., Spokane Valley • 928-3222 • ambrosia-bistro.com
Bistro Rouge at Pend d'Oreille Winery This popular Sandpoint winery is housed in the historic Belwood building. At the Bistro Rouge Café, dine and sip from their list of white, rosé, red, reserve and sweet wines, paired with live music several times a week. Be sure to check out their Facebook page to see who's playing. 301 Cedar St., #101, Sandpoint, Idaho • 208-265-8545 • powine.com
The Cellar This Coeur d'Alene icon has taken wine tasting to a new level with the addition of its Enomatic self-service system. Now oenophiles can samples wine at will with a prepaid card. An LED display indicates price per pour (1-, 3- and 5-ounce samples) on wines that otherwise, says restaurant manager and wine steward Naomi Boutz, would average $35 to $40 per bottle. Boutz tries to offer similar wines at different price points, heavy on the reds, and switches out a third of the wines weekly. 317 E. Sherman Ave., Coeur d'Alene • 208-664-9463 • thecellarcda.com
Eau de Vie Wine Shoppe This intimate wine bar is located right next door to Hay J's Bistro, which provides fresh appetizers to enjoy with the ever-rotating lineup of boutique wines. Stop in for small plates and a wine flight or attend one of their winemaker's tastings or dinners. Co-owner Chris Cates is passionate about educating his patrons about wine, without pomp or pretense. A wine club offers unique bottles, complete with tasting notes. 21718 E. Mission Ave., Liberty Lake, Wash. • 926-5900 • eaudeviewine.com
LeftBank Wine Bar With more than 50 wines by the glass, you can assume the people behind LeftBank love wine. It's true. But beyond that, they love food, beer and creating a comfortable gathering place. So come in, try a wine flight, order dinner and enjoy the live music (Thu-Sat). 108 N. Washington St. • 315-8623 • leftbankwinebar.com
Luna Its Applewood pizza oven hails from Naples, Italy; the maple floors in the main dining room came from a Spokane high school gymnasium; and the first department store in Birmingham, Alabama, provided the chandelier hanging in the west entrance foyer. Yes, everything at Luna has been aged to perfection to match the expansive wine list. 5260 S. Perry St. • 448-2383 • lunaspokane.com
Nectar Wine & Beer Owner Josh Wade says that Nectar's new location in Kendall Yards combines wine shopping with wine drinking. Buy some wine or beer to take home and stick around to enjoy a glass or three. On Thursdays, the shop hosts weekly tasting events ($10, $5 for members), which include a sampling of artisan cheeses. 1331 W. Summit Pkwy. • 290-5239 • nectarkendallyards.com
Nectar Tasting Room Five Washington wineries share space in the downtown Nectar Tasting Room. Nectar offers wine tasting, wine by the glass, and wine by the bottle. During your visit, you can snack on a meat-and-cheese plate while enjoying your wine, picked from an iPad tasting menu that changes week by week. 120 N. Stevens St. • 290-5182 • drinknectar.com
Vintage Vines This locally owned wine and beer shop opened as a wine and beer retail shop, but has since expanded to be a wine bar and eatery. They're proud to say, "We are practiced professionals at drinking, and talking about what we drink." Join them on Tuesdays for half off select in-house bottles of wine, or get some exercise before indulging in happy hour prices with their running and walking club on Wednesdays. 106 N. Evergreen Rd., Spokane Valley • 227-9463 • vintagevineswineshop.com
