This MD Restaurant Named Among Top Wine Spots In Country

BALTIMORE — Diners who want a truly fine glass or bottle of wine with their meal don't need to travel far to find it. Wine Enthusiast magazine just published a guide profiling the great wine restaurants of America for 2019, and one is in Maryland.

The list of the 100 best wine restaurants focuses on "eateries that incorporate wine in thoughtful and exciting ways" where "wine is shared and celebrated, and where, in our experiences, the selection, food, service and atmosphere are all exceptional," according to Wine Enthusiast.

Establishments from 38 states and Puerto Rico were featured.

The magazine found the 100 best wine restaurants in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.

In Maryland, Tagliata of Baltimore made the cut. It claims to have the largest wine list in Baltimore, and Wine Enthusiast reports that it's actually the largest in the state. Check out the 29-page wine menu from Tagliata.

Why Wine Experience loves it: "The Italian-focused eatery offers the largest wine list in Maryland to match hand-cut steaks, fresh pastas, housemade charcuterie and other clean, classic dishes from Executive Chef/Partner Julian Marucci. Sommelier John Kelley hunts out an assortment of wines from Italy’s north to south and other classic wine-producing countries like France, Germany, Spain and the U.S."

Kelley told Wine Enthusiast that patrons are increasingly engaging him in conversations about the wines, including where they come from, particularly those made in Etna on the coast of Sicily.

The dish Wine Enthusiast loved the most: "Squid ink campanelle with blue crab, sea urchin cream sauce, chili, basil, and breadcrumbs."

Tagliata is at 1012 Fleet Street, near the Whole Foods in Harbor East.

Read the complete list from Wine Enthusiast.

Tagliata also made Wine Enthusiast's 2018 list of best wine restaurants.

— By Patch editors Beth Dalbey and Elizabeth Janney.