Virginia wine pride hiding in plain sight
Shockoe Bottom · Richmond · New Southern · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed March 16, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Julep's opens with a clear statement of intent: Virginia is a real wine region and they're here to prove it. Between the Barboursville sparklings and the Ankida Ridge Pinot, this is one of the more committed local-producer lineups you'll find on a restaurant menu in Richmond. It's not a long list, but it's curated with actual conviction.
Fifty-plus labels spread across Virginia, California, Washington, France, and Italy — lean but purposeful. Virginia anchors the list with genuine standouts: Barboursville shows up twice (the Cuvee 1814 Brut and the Phileo dessert wine), Rapidan River brings a semi-dry Riesling from Leon, and Ankida Ridge's Amherst County Pinot Noir is one of the more serious bottles on the menu. California gets its obligatory cameo with Orin Swift Papillon and a couple of Napa heavyweights, and there's a decent Champagne section running from Nicolas Feuillatte up to Veuve Clicquot. The gaps are real — minimal Italian depth beyond the Barboursville sparkler, no Burgundy, no natural wine to speak of — but within its lane this list is doing something intentional.
Glass pours run $8.50 to $12.75, which is honest pricing for Richmond. The by-the-glass count is modest at 3+, so don't expect a wall of options — you're choosing from a tight edit. We'd love to see the Virginia producers represented by the glass more aggressively; right now the BTG program doesn't fully deliver on the local-pride promise of the bottle list.
Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Blanc Brut, Monticello, Virginia NV — $31
A Virginia sparkling wine made by a French Champagne house transplant — and at the low end of the bottle price range, it overdelivers on occasion. This is the move if you want something celebratory without the Champagne markup.
Ankida Ridge Pinot Noir, Amherst '15
Most people sleep on Virginia Pinot Noir entirely, and that's a mistake. Ankida Ridge farms at high elevation in Amherst County and makes one of the most genuinely compelling Pinots on the East Coast. Most diners will scroll past it looking for something they recognize — don't be that person.
Veuve Clicquot Vintage Brut Champagne, Reims, France NV
Veuve Clicquot is fine, but it's airport-lounge Champagne and you're paying restaurant markup on a bottle you can grab at any Total Wine. With Thibaut-Janisson on the same list at a fraction of the price, there's no reason to go here.
Rapidan River Semi-Dry Riesling, Leon, Virginia + She-Crab Soup
The subtle residual sugar in this Virginia Riesling plays off the rich, briny sweetness of the she-crab soup without drowning either one out. The acidity keeps things clean. It's a genuinely local pairing that actually makes sense.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Julep's isn't trying to be a wine destination, but its commitment to Virginia producers gives it a regional identity most comparable restaurants don't bother building. If you care about drinking local and eating well in the same sitting, this is your spot.
Scott's Addition · Richmond · American, Seafood
Lillian is the rare spot where the wine list is more ambitious than the address suggests — a focused, France-and-Italy-forward program with legit producers, a knowledgeable floor lead, and bottle prices that don't feel punitive. Send a friend here, tell them to sit at the counter, order oysters, and ask PJ what's open.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Carytown · Richmond · American, Seasonal
Shagbark is the real deal — a legitimately serious wine program attached to a kitchen that can back it up, priced fairly enough that you'll actually want to explore. If you're in Richmond and you care about what's in your glass, this is the room you should be in.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Richmond · Richmond · Indian, Vegetarian
Lehja is doing something genuinely unusual — building a serious, award-winning wine program inside a spice-forward Indian restaurant in suburban Virginia — and pulling it off. Send your wine-curious friends here and watch them recalibrate their expectations.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Rocketts Landing · Richmond · American, Steakhouse, Seafood, Contemporary
The Boathouse is a reliable choice if you time it right — hit that 4–6pm happy hour and suddenly the steep markups become a non-issue. Outside of that window, you're paying a premium for the view as much as the wine, which is fine as long as you go in knowing that.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Museum District · Richmond · Cafe, American
Garnett's is a neighborhood sandwich shop with zero pretension and a wine program that quietly overachieves — especially if you lean into the Date Night Special. Send your friends here when they say they can't afford a nice dinner.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Boulevard · Richmond · Market & Wine Bar
Stella's is the Wild Card Richmond didn't know it needed — a market concept with a wine list that has actual taste and fair prices to match. Send a friend here on a weeknight and tell them to order the Crozes-Hermitage.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Alpharetta · Atlanta · New Southern
Milton's Cuisine delivers the charm of a historic farmhouse dinner with a wine list that is solid if not cheap. The corkage policy is your friend here, and the seasonal rotations keep the by-the-glass program interesting.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Victorian District · Savannah · New Southern
Elizabeth on 37th is a reliable neighborhood spot where the wine list won't excite you but won't let you down either. Come for the historic setting and Southern cooking, order something familiar by the glass, and save your wine adventures for another night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Stemless Casual
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Vinings · Atlanta · New Southern
Canoe pairs a 370-bottle wine list with one of the best restaurant settings in Atlanta. The list is reliable, the pricing is fair, and the riverfront patio sells itself.
Solid Range
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
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