Fort Worth’s 7 Best Restaurant Wine Programs — Where to Dine for Exceptional Bottles

The pop of a cork, the rising pitch of an emptying bottle, and the aroma of a fine wine all set the scene for an exceptional dining experience. Fort Worth’s fine dining destinations understand the interplay of vino and cuisine, especially in a city where well-traveled locals return home expecting the same exacting service and thoughtfully curated wine selections they encountered in the French countryside or among the vineyards of Tuscany.

We recently sat down with Ellerbe Fine Foods co-owner and sommelier Richard King to discuss their wine program and how they keep up with discerning oenophiles.

As a young adult, King began collecting wine alongside his father, turning a shared hobby into a lifelong passion. Over a 30-year hospitality career, King has developed an extensive network within the wine industry, giving him access to rare and highly sought-after bottles. His goal has always been to remove the “pretension” often associated with fine wine.

“This all started as a bonding moment with my dad, and that’s how I continue to think about wine,” he says. “Wine is the best icebreaker — something meant to be served and shared with family and friends. At Ellerbe, we are very intentional about our wine list. I’ve tried thousands of wines, and we curate wines based on seasonality and the stories behind the bottles. I like to find wines that not only taste great but also offer good value for the price. Our servers and sommeliers are continually training.”

To see what Fort Worth’s other top-rated restaurants have to offer, we also reached out to several of Cowtown’s top sommeliers and wine program managers to learn what bottles they’re pouring, collecting, and pairing with their menus.

Grace Restaurant

777 Main Street

Under the leadership of owner Adam Jones and executive chef Blaine Staniford, Grace has earned a reputation as one of Fort Worth’s most acclaimed fine dining destinations. Sommeliers Tony Fino-Fraser and Junior Lindamood tell us the restaurant’s roughly 500-bottle wine program spans selections from the United States, France, Italy, and Spain, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir featured prominently.

They share that they “enjoy wines that are thoughtfully made and not overly manipulated. Wines that show a sense of place have always been our favorite to talk about and show our guests. Additionally, many of the wines on our list come from wineries that are family-owned and operated, which is very important to us. Our goal is to be able to cater to anyone, regardless of your experience with wine. We have wines from highly regarded producers from around the world, as well as wines from areas and producers many aren’t familiar with. It’s all about the journey you want to take, and we’re excited to take it with you.”

61 Osteria

500 West 7th Street

The wine program at 61 Osteria is headed by Jono Rodriguez, who works with sommelier Jessica Balanga to pair world-class wines with Italian cuisine at one of Fort Worth’s most beautiful spaces. The restaurant’s cellar features more than 400 wines and 3,000 bottles, with a particular emphasis on the regions of Piedmont, Tuscany, and Sicily. Rodriguez says the supplement those offerings with varietals from South Africa, New Zealand, and Greece.

“We love introducing and providing ‘unsung heroes’ to those with a curious palate. It is important to balance the wines we choose as being both approachable and familiar. The suppliers we work with are quite excellent at understanding our needs and dynamic to keep us informed on new wines coming out. Bottles that tell a story are sought out because a connection can be made with each guest. Champagne has also been on the rise for us, and we maintain an impressive selection, including the newly acquired 2018 Billecart-Salmon 250th Anniversary Cuvée. Only 22 bottles were allocated to the state of Texas, and we secured six of them.”

Emilia’s

3300 Camp Bowie Boulevard

With a 500-bottle wine list and 150 selections on its reserve list, Emilia’s is well-positioned to satisfy a diverse clientele through its thoughtfully curated program and regular wine dinner events. The menu’s focus on Italian and Mediterranean cuisine shapes the wine offerings, which largely hail from Piedmont, Tuscany, Puglia, and the Amalfi Coast. Those selections are complemented by wines from France, the United States, Spain, South America, and Australia.

Their wine program team tells us that the list is “always evolving based on recommendations from suppliers, emerging trends, and requests from guests.”

“Our goal is to maintain a list that feels dynamic and relevant while remaining true to the restaurant’s culinary identity. The Crescent Hotel Fort Worth attracts a diverse mix of guests, from Cultural District visitors and university guests to business travelers, collectors, and dedicated wine enthusiasts. Emilia’s wine program is designed to appeal to that broad audience. Chablis, Sancerre, and premium rosés continue to perform well, particularly in Texas, while Merlot has made a surprising comeback after several years of declining popularity.”

The Mont

4729 Saint Amand Circle, Suite 105

One of Fort Worth’s most visually resplendent restaurants offers a cellar-worthy wine program that appeals to both casual wine drinkers and seasoned collectors. The wine program team at The Mont tells us that they carry roughly 250 wines representing the best of Old World and New World offerings.

“We feature beautiful wines from all over the world and really focus on wonderfully crafted and unique wines with modern classics. We are constantly tasting new wines to update our wine list to reflect our chef-inspired, seasonally rotating menu. We strive for complex wines that pair well with our beautifully crafted dishes. Our list is built to appeal to casual and serious wine drinkers alike, so that no matter if this is your thousandth time tasting wine or your first, we have something that you will fall in love with. Some really exciting additions that we have brought on are the 2009 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande and the 2021 Clos du Vieux Château Premier Cru Puligny-Montrachet by François Carillon.”

Ellerbe Fine Foods

1501 West Magnolia Avenue

One of Fort Worth’s most respected farm-to-table restaurants also boasts one of the state’s most extensive wine programs. Ellerbe maintains more than 600 wine selections and between 1,500 and 2,000 bottles at any given time, with offerings that change alongside Chef Molly McCook’s seasonal menus. Beyond the restaurant, co-owner and sommelier Richard King also advises private collectors on building and managing their personal cellars, helping source everything from everyday favorites to rare and highly allocated bottles.

Don Artemio

3268 West 7th Street

Adrian Garcia, director of brand and experience at Don Artemio Fort Worth, tells us his wine program features around 170 labels that represent classics, emerging producers, and benchmark wines from around the world. The Cultural District-based restaurant has received Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence for four consecutive years.

“Mexico is the foundation of our wine program. Don Artemio was born in Coahuila, home to Casa Madero, the oldest winery in the Americas, founded in 1597, and our list pays tribute to that heritage. The wine list also reflects [selections from] Spain, France, the United States, and Italy. We view our wine list as a living collection. Throughout the year, we evaluate new vintages, seek out emerging Mexican producers, and add wines that complement seasonal menu changes while maintaining a strong foundation of iconic labels. Our goal is to balance discovery with familiarity.”

Clay Pigeon

2731 White Settlement Road

Clay Pigeon maintains 200 to 225 wine labels that center on red varietals produced domestically and imported from France. From Scratch Hospitality director Kellen Hamrah says the goal is to “showcase the breadth of growing regions by balancing standard-bearing producing along with small producers that may use either innovative or classic approaches to winemaking.”

“Our goal is to have plenty of options for our guests to choose from that will add to the experience of dining with us by being complementary and not challenging the flavors produced by our chef. At Clay Pigeon, we serve all types, from people just beginning their love of wine to serious collectors. The thing that we are most excited about is being able to share some bottles with our guests who are the sleepers on our list. Think about lesser-known varietals, smaller producers, and far-flung regions that may be intimidating to try without the high financial barrier of entry.”

Stay in the know about wine trends and related topics through our ongoing series, “The Pour.”