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5 Things to Love Wine Bars By Stett Holbrook If it's a glass of good wine you're after, most bars only offer a limited menu that is long on chardonnay and merlot but short on lesser-known, more interesting selections. Try one of these five wine bars instead. Arcadia: Not a wine bar, but this restaurant in downtown San Jose's Marriott hotel has a comfortable lounge and beautiful bar with a good selection of wines by the glass and small plates menu to match. 110 W. San Carlos St., San Jose. 408.278.4555. Lavanda Restaurant and Wine Bar: Great food and a superb wine list. 185 University Ave., Palo Alto. 650.321.3514. Tannins Wine Bar and Merchants: This comfortable Campbell wine bar offers an impressive selection of wine for drinking and buying. 379 E. Campbell Ave., Campbell. 408.370.7623. Testarossa Vineyards: OK, not a wine bar either, but what better place to sample some wine than a winery? Testarossa's stunning location in a former novitiate above Los Gatos and superb pinot noirs are the real draw here. Buy some wine and your samples are free. Otherwise, $10 allows you to sample their award-winning wines. 300A College Ave., Los Gatos. 408.354.6150. Vino Locale: Focusing on locally produced Santa Cruz Mountains wines and small plates of food sourced from local purveyors and growers, Vino Locale is a Palo Alto gem. 431 Kipling St., Palo Alto. 650.328.0450. Send a letter to the editor about this story to letters@metronews.com. [ Silicon Valley | Metroactive Home | Archives ]