We Went, You Should Too
A really GOOD wine shop can change the way you experience a place. Somewhere to meet a friend before dinner, discover a wine you can’t stop thinking about, or spend a slow afternoon that turns into an unexpectedly great evening.
From beautifully designed neighborhood bottle shops to intimate spaces with beloved wine clubs and tastings, these are a few of our team’s favorite Southern wine shops — thoughtfully curated places we keep recommending to friends every chance we get.
And while each of these shops feels completely different, they all have one thing in common: people who care deeply about what they’re pouring, the stories behind it, and the experience they’re creating around it.
ISLA WINE: Gulf Shores, AL
Photography by Jaylee Dempsey
GOOD things really do come in small packages at ISLA Wine, a thoughtfully curated neighborhood bottle shop and wine bar tucked inside Gulf Shores’ Waterway Village. The space feels warm, relaxed, and thoughtfully designed, with natural light pouring through the windows and tables that invite conversation, a good book, or, of course, another glass of wine.
Owner Robin Riddell Jones brings more than 25 years of wine experience to ISLA, but nothing about it feels intimidating. Between the carefully curated bottle selection, rotating seasonal menu (olive dip, anyone?!), a monthly wine club, intimate events, and genuinely welcoming atmosphere, ISLA has quietly become one of our favorite spots to spend an afternoon or evening on the Gulf Coast.
Golden Age: Birmingham, AL
Golden Age is one of those places you think about long after you leave. Thoughtfully designed down to the smallest detail, the space feels equal parts refined and relaxed—somewhere you can just as easily settle in with friends for a bottle as you can slip in solo for a glass at the bar.
Owned by Brandon Loper and Trent Stewart, Golden Age approaches wine the same way some people approach music: layered, emotional, and always evolving. Their shelves are filled with sustainably farmed, low-intervention wines from producers they genuinely believe in, alongside thoughtfully sourced food, tastings, and a monthly wine club that makes you want to keep discovering more. It’s the kind of place that quietly expands your palate while somehow also making you feel completely at home.
Photography by Rob Culpepper
Graft: Charleston, SC
Tucked into Charleston’s uptown neighborhood, Graft Wine Shop is the kind of place where you drop by to grab a good bottle and end up lingering in the good company. Founded by longtime friends Femi Oyediran and Miles White, the beloved wine shop and bar blends an expertly curated library of bottles with rich conversation, great music, and zero pretension.
Whether you’re popping in for a hostess gift, stocking up for a dinner party, or settling in to discover something new by the glass, Graft delivers. Insider programs like “Cellar Gang” and the “Extra Sauce” monthly subscription only add to the fun, but the real magic is the atmosphere: warm, welcoming, and effortlessly cool.
Levure: Jackson, MS
Levure, located inside Jackson’s Belhaven district, is equal parts neighborhood wine shop and natural wine education. Helmed by sommelier and beverage director Brandi Carter, the thoughtfully curated shop has quickly become a destination for both the wine-curious and seasoned aficionados alike.
Shelves are lined with low-intervention, organic, and biodynamic bottles from passionate producers around the world, but what makes Levure truly special is the approachability. There’s no intimidation here—just vibrant wines, friendly guidance, and lots of opportunities to discover something unexpected. Whether you leave with a skin-contact stunner or a new favorite pét-nat, chances are you’ll leave knowing a little more about wine than when you walked in.
Crush Bottle Shop: Nashville, TN
Photography By Victoria Quick
*Recommended by Ashley Locke
Opened by industry experts Seema Prasad (of Nashville favorite Miel) and Brian Hadfield, Crush Bottle Shop brings a fresh, thoughtful energy to Nashville’s wine scene. The shop blends deep wine knowledge with a sense of playfulness and discovery, creating a space that feels just as welcoming to seasoned collectors as it does someone picking up a bottle for a Tuesday night dinner.
Known for its impeccably sourced wines, craft spirits, tastings, and rotating events, Crush has quickly become a go-to for locals looking to discover something new. And with a cozy patio out back, it’s just as much a place to gather and hang out as it is a place to shop.
If you leave any of these fine establishments with a new favorite bottle and a suddenly very full calendar of wine tastings…well, it sounds like you did it just right.
