Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Dr. Wine

Dr. Wine in Shanghai

Dr. Wine is a new addition to the wine bar scene in Shanghai centrally located in Shanghai on Fumin Lu and Julu Lu. The ambitious space has promise with its attention to detail, photobooth, and random coats hanging in the co-ed toilets.

It is a large space with a ground floor bar and cozy seating area. Upstairs is a tasting room, more tables, and a glass-encased temperature-controlled wine storage room. All the bin numbers are made available and the area is warmly illuminated. The highlight of the upstairs area is the large, long wooden table surrounded by wine bins. Sitting at this table, you know the focus of your night is wine and to taste it, enjoy it, and drink more.

The wine menu ranged from 118RMB to 45000RMB, the cheapest being a French wine. Enoteca a few blocks away is still a little cheaper than Dr. Wine. Most of the menu is centered on French wines (apparently the owner is also French) with some notable selections from Italy and the Americas. First page on the menu is different kinds of water to start. The Cityweekend listing says there is a food menu with sandwiches, imported meats, and French paté, but that was not made available to the large party.

As a new luxury watering hole on the expat scene, it was easy to run into members of the 25+ Shanghai expat community all checking out the wine selection. It is a large, yet cozy and timeless environment to enjoy a glass of wine and conversation with friends, colleagues, and strangers.

Dr. Wine. 177 Fumin Lu, near Julu Lu. Shanghai, China富民路177号 近巨鹿路

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