This post originally appeared on cristywicks.com.

Drink up, enneaphiles.

First time reading enneagram-themed Nashville recs? Catch up on the rest of the series here.

1 (The Reformer) - 360 Bistro

The test of a good wine bar is the amount of time it takes to fill the seats during Happy Hour. In 360 Bistro’s case, it takes merely one minute for regulars to flock around the curved wooden bar top. What this restaurant lacks in style, it makes up for in a 28-page wine list. More than 300 wines are available from France, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Germany, Argentina, and more. Ones will especially appreciate the efficient iPad ordering system which allows visitors to text or email themselves the label of their favorite bottles. Between its Wine Spectator awards and the wine-serious clientele, 360 Bistro is the most practical choice for orderly and principled wine connoisseurs. Reformers will certainly find some ancillary improvements, but the wine itself is top-notch.


Photos: @360bistro

2 (The Helper) - Louie’s Wine Dive

Whether you’re a first-time vino or a well-aged wine-lover, the bartenders at Louie’s will make you feel right at home. The refreshing nature of this bar—free of pretense or snobbery—can be attributed to its Midwest roots. Between the free tastings, online wine education, and kindness of the servers, every visitor will leave Louie’s more evolved—both in wine knowledge and common courtesy. Like the lovable Helper, it’s hard to imagine anyone not liking this friendly wine spot. 

Note: Unfortunately, before the publication of this piece, Louie’s Nashville location closed its doors. I’ve opted to include this assignment anyway, since other locations remain open, and no other wine bar provides as unassuming yet exceptional experience as Louie’s. Twos, I encourage you to try one of their dives in Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, or Kansas.

3 (The Achiever) - Husk

I say this with love: Husk can be a bit of a show off. This Southern powerhouse restaurant, formerly led by Chef Sean Brock, can be found on countless “Best of” lists—including one by Wine Enthusiast. Keeping in line with the kitchen’s high standards for ingredients, the bar program offers exclusive and boutique wines. And get this: instead of dividing options into the usual categories of geographic location or tasting notes, Husk outlines reds, whites, and sparkles by their terroir and soil type—alluvial, sedimentary, metamorphic, or igneous. Achievers, when you visit Husk, take note of the Angel Oak family of wines bottled in the Husk owners’ vineyard. (Of coouuurse they make their own wine on top of running some of the world’s best restaurants.) Husk is at the top of their game, just like the high-energy three. Need I say more?


Photos: @husknashville

4 (The Individualist) - Lou

If you’re looking for rare wines in a trendy East Nash environment, look no further than Lou. The “bar a vin” brings a unique natural wine program to Music City with imported French wines and co-fermented bottles. (Yeah, I didn’t know what that was either.) Combining a love for fashion, foreign wines, and culinary flair, the owner created a space unlike any other. Individualists will feel fancy and free in this slightly pretentious, deeply artistic house-turned-restaurant.

5 (The Investigator) - Miel

Oh dear fives, Miel is a haven. Exquisite food and intimate tables provide space for investigators to imbibe comfortably, and the extensive wine pairing knowledge of servers will be best appreciated by intellectual tipplers. A french theme is maintained across each menu offering, and prices on the Happy Hour could not be more appropriately priced for fives, as each wine, cocktail, and app comes in at $5. An easy across-the-street parking situation makes the night even less of an energy drain. Non-fives, Miel may be just the ticket to get your investigators out during seasons of isolation.


Photos: @mielrestaurant

6 (The Loyalist) - Moto

Like many sixes I’ve encountered, Moto is instantly likable. You will nary find a wine-forward restaurant so committed to authentic food and connected to its community. As the Italian offering from M Street, this locale is simultaneously independent as a dining room and interdependent as a part of its restaurant group. Hospitable bartenders, tannic Sangiovese wines, and comfortable bar seats make this Midtown bar a top-contender for one-on-one Happy Hours. For nights out with their tribe of close-knit friends, think-ahead sixes will likely need to book a resy to ensure their whole crew can consume the consciously-sourced, Italy-imported ingredients.

7 (The Enthusiast) - Setsun

Sevens, when you’re feeling the urge to sprint to the airport and book a last-minute flight out of Nash, instead, set sail for Setsun. This pop-up wine bar run by former Treehouse chef Jason Zygmont takes over Sky Blue Cafe on Fridays–Mondays. Between the spinning vinyl, constantly rotating wine list, and the “bit of everything” option on the menu, an Enthusiast’s heart will be exploding with each visit. Add in the freedom to order any wine in a half glass “so tasting more expensive bottles isn’t such a commitment” plus the option to drink from a porron, and this cozy little joint just might be the Seven’s heaven. (Should you opt for a full bottle, you’re in for a fun surprise.)


Photos: @setsun.east

8 (The Challenger) - Barcelona

High ceilings, a formidable marble-top bar, and audacious servers climbing on each other’s shoulders to pour wine directly into visitors’ mouths create an atmosphere ripe for eights. Where others may feel intimidated by the Spanish menu, Challengers will confidently peruse and pronounce which bold reds they’d prefer. A boisterous and celebratory feel will make extroverts come alive, and their contagious energy will quickly spread to the rest of their table-mates. Although the dining area can reach high decibels, a single hanging light bulb over each table and a carefully selected music volume drowns neighboring voices and creates space for intimate conversations between friends (or the perfect scenario for an intense cross examination). Industrious eights will love a fiscally-conscious treat with half-off bottles on Monday evenings.

9 (The Peacemaker) - City Winery

The creative, stable, and supportive atmosphere of City Winery can best be compared to the grounded nine. Content to work in the background and let others shine, this wine bar and music venue not only provides a stage for aspiring artists but also supports the success of neighboring businesses like Tennessee Brew Works. When viewing a show, nines need not worry about elbowing their way to the front of a crowded auditorium, as most concerts allow seat reservations. Peacemakers are relieved of their usual duties—maintaining harmony between humans—as the refills and refrains bring a sense of calm to the collective community.


Photos: @citywinerynsh

Other Standout Wine Lists

Folk

Rolf & Daughters

Henrietta Red

City House

404 Kitchen

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Cristy Wicks, a Nashville Guide writer
Cristy splits her time between freelance marketing, eating all the queso at Taqueria del Sol, and facetiming her niece, Austyn. A Texas native and 7 on the enneagram, she loves testing out new restaurants and hosting parties with her husband in their home near 12 South.