Joining the small catalog of Nashville wine bars, By the Bottle launched in 2021—first as a bottle-only service at the endlessly hip Urban Cowboy Public House, and now inside the vibrant, emerald-accented Vandyke Bed & Beverage bar space. Owner Kate Cunningham’s thoughtful list of small-production, naturally made wines includes a half-dozen by-the-glass options and twenty-or-so reasonably priced bottles. The conversational list runs from “low-investment risks” (with MDZ malbec and Mary Taylor Bordeaux rouge) to “don’t be scared,” where you’ll find Rodica’s sparkling, fizzy refosk and a pet-nat riesling. Cunningham’s current darling is the bright and silky Pullus from Slovenia, a 100-percent skin-contact pinot grigio. “I wanted to have a skin contact that wasn’t scary; […] pinot grigio, guests understand it and are open to the conversation,” she says. A revolving list of pop-up kitchens, like roving oyster bar The Local Pearl, join Cunningham in the space most nights, providing a constantly changing menu for her to pair against.
105 S. 11th St., Nashville, TN 37206
Wine Bar
Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Erin Byers Murray is the Editor in Chief at the Local Palate magazine, which celebrates the food culture of the South. She’s also a food reporter, recipe tester, cookbook editor, and an author who has written four books including Shucked: Life on a New England Oyster Farm, and the James Beard-nominated The New England Kitchen.
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