Thanks to the efforts of some talented and curious young sommeliers, Nashville restaurant wine lists have become a whole lot more interesting over the past few years. Once, seeing a Chilean Carménère on the menu was a novelty, but now people like Mailea Weger of East Nashville’s lou are really stretching our palates. California-born and France-obsessed, Weger’s bar vin is the spot to discover obscure natural wines from unexpected sources, like Mexican wines redolent of smoke made from grapes grown in volcanic soil, or a funky and floral Greek moschofilero that Weger describes as “a breakfast wine.” We can get behind that idea! CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
More Best of Nashville wins: In our Writers’ Choice, lou has also been named Best Brunch (2023).
