2 NYS venues on magazine's top wine bar list

A pair of New York venues have made the list of America's top wine bars as determined by Travel + Leisure magazine.

Lelabar
422 Hudson Street at Leroy
Manhattan
(212) 206-0594

An oval wraparound bar dominates the candlelit interior of this tin-ceilinged wine bar, encouraging casual conversation among West Village locals and others lured here. The wine list features about 150 carefully curated bottles, and the small plates can hold their own (you might catch an intoxicating whiff of white truffle oil). Consider, for starters, the Cheese Trio Panini, a deadly combination of Manchego, Muenster, and fontina, sourced from New York City’s iconic Murray’s Cheese Shop, or goose liver pâté, spread generously on slabs of hot toast.

Flight Wine Bar
262 Exchange Boulevard
Rochester
(585) 360-4180

Trios of hand-selected pours are the highlight at this appropriately named spot overlooking the Genesee River. Ice wines and Rieslings from New York’s Finger Lakes region make regular appearances in the bar’s extensive flights, which aren’t just limited to wines—there’s also a chocolate tasting, comprising dipped orange peels, sesame leaves, and dark chocolate truffles, perfect for sharing. If you’re in more of a savory mood, go for the cheese and charcuterie plates and tuck into succulent slices of salami and beechwood-smoked Bruder Basil. Low lighting and warm, earth-toned furniture complete the elegant atmosphere.

FOR THE COMPLETE LIST, go here.