Portland

Central Provisions is doing something genuinely rare: running a thoughtful, fairly priced, adventurous wine program inside a casual small-plates restaurant in Maine. Yes, send your friends here for wine — and tell them to ask about the Jurançon.

If you care at all about Greek wine — or you've been curious but never had a real on-ramp — Taverna Khione is one of a handful of places in the U.S. where you can actually explore it properly. The pricing may sting a little, but the list itself is the draw.

Eventide is a seafood counter that quietly runs one of the more thoughtful wine programs in Portland — natural wine at an oyster bar is a flex, and they pull it off without trying too hard. Send a friend here if they think good wine only lives in white tablecloth rooms.

Twelve is building one of the most credible wine programs in New England, full stop — the Austrian focus alone makes it worth the trip. Markups lean steep at the top end, but the depth and intention of the list earn the badge.