5 Shanghai wine bars

When you’re more concerned about wining than dining, these Shanghai wine bars top our list.

1. Drop the pose at Enoteca

One of the original unpretentious Shanghai wine bars. No need to feel the need to pose at this chain. Located on both Taicang Lu (for those who just can’t imagine straying from Xintiandi’s posh respites) and Anfu Lu (for those who aren’t sure there’s life outside of the French Concession), Enoteca offers a great selection of reasonably priced New and Old World bottles, a cheese plate and croque monsieur to gleefully indulge in, ph and and a weekly jazz night (Taicang Lu location), where open seats are scarce.

58 Taicang Lu 太仓路58号, +86 21 5306 3400
53-57 Anfu Lu 安福路53-57号, +86 21 5404 0050
www.enoteca.com.cn

2. Head outdoors at The Fat Olive

Although you can sit outside at Entoca’s Taicang Lu location, we’d be hard pressed to call it al fresco. That’s where The Fat Olive wins. This new project by David Laris shows Shanghai’s true love of outdoor drinking, New World wine, Greek tapas, and, oh yes, outdoor drinking. Did we say that already?

Silver Court Building, 6/F, 228 Xizhang Nan Lu 西藏路228号6楼, +86 21 6334 3288
www.thefatolive.com

3. Help is on the label at Just Grapes

There’s nothing worse than being presented with a wine list that forces a selection process comparable to playing darts -- blindfolded. Thankfully Just Grapes eases that pain by offering weekly tastings and, more importantly, a labeling system on all its bottles that ranks sweetness on a sliding scale. They also tag bottles by taste with labels like “mineral” and “floral.” This Shanghai wine bar has three locations.

462 Dagu Lu 大沽路462号, +86 21 3311 3205
162 Anfu Lu 安福路162号, +86 21 5404 6505
77B Xingeng Lu 辛耕路77B号, +86 21 3368 6218
www.justgrapes.cn

4. Cellar storage at Cuvee

If you are sick of makeshift wine storage solutions at home, Cuvee allows you to store your prized bottles in their cellar. Become a member and you get a locker. Non-members are welcome too but they have to buy at the bar or sidle up and sweet-talk a bottle-toting member. Cuvee is a bit outside of downtown (head to north Jing'an and 528 Kangding Lu) and has a comfortable outdoor patio and a separate fireplace. Kick back with a bottle, add a cigar if you want, and feel a little bit naughty knowing Cuvee’s housed in an old church. Say a few Hail Marys and all will be forgiven.

Lane 528 Kangding Lu, Bldg 103 康定路528弄, +86 21 6288 1189
www.cuvee.net.cn

5. Taikang Lu libations: Tai Wine 

Few areas have survived Shanghai's urban renewal but Taikang Lu, the boho "Experimental Intellectual Property Rights Zone," (no we didn’t make that up) is a clear exception to the rule. Order a bottle, see if they’ll sneak you upstairs to the balcony -- this is one of the few Shanghai wine bars where you can revel in renovated, but still old Shanghai.  

No. 38, Lane 248 Taikang Lu 泰康路248弄38号, +86 21 6473 3001