The Anchorage

The Anchorage self-describes in "esoteric wines," and the list backs that up with zero hedging. The front entrance doubles House Wines, a retail shop with over 80 selections from small, sustainable, family-owned wineries worldwide. Any bottle on the shelf can be opened at your table. The by-the-glass program runs deep: Jacquinet-Dumez "Dialogie" Champagne ($23), Austrian Grüner Veltliner from the Schodl Family ($14), Azimut "Brisat" orange wine from Penedès ($15), and Demarie Roero Riserva Nebbiolo ($15). This is not a place playing it safe.

The full list spans grower Champagne (Bérêche & Fils, Philippe Gonet, Pertois-Moriset Grand Cru), pét-nats from Georgia (the country), France, and Portugal, skin-contact orange wines from Austria, Spain, and Croatia, plus deep selections from Burgundy, Piedmont, the Northern Rhône, and the Douro. Arnot-Roberts Trout Gulch Chardonnay ($100), Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo Bussia ($226), Tyler La Rinconada Pinot Noir ($120), and Château Batailley Pauillac Grand Cru ($165) sit alongside $54 discoveries. Chef/owner Gregory McPhee's four-course tasting menu ($85) pairs beautifully with staff-guided wine selections.

A MICHELIN Guide-recognized restaurant with an on-site natural wine retail shop, grower Champagne, skin-contact wines from three continents, and a tasting menu designed for wine pairing. This is the best wine program in Greenville, full stop. Worth a detour from anywhere in the Southeast.