"Bar Month" at OnMilwaukee.com is back for another round! The whole month of February, we're serving up intoxicatingly fun bars and club articles -- including guides, bartender profiles, drink recipes and even a little Brew City bar history. Cheers!

There's no arguing that Milwaukee is a beer town. But we're becoming more and more friendly with the grape and especially the vinified grape.

That means going to a bar no longer means choosing between pilsner or stout, and it's not even a choice of Merlot vs. Cabernet anymore, either, thanks to these innovative and adventurous wine-focused bars and restaurants.

Bacchus
925 E. Wells St., (414) 765-1166
www.bacchusmke.com
More restaurant than bar, Bacchus -- in the elegant setting of Cudahy Tower -- does have a lovely bar outside the dining room and most of the time you can enjoy the restaurant's astonishing wine list in the glass-enclosed solarium, too.

Balzac
1716 N. Arlington Pl., (414) 755-0099
www.balzacwinebar.com
You'd think that a vast, five-page wine list offering everything from a $6 glass of Caves de Pomerol Picpoul de Pinet (described on the list as the Muscadet of south France) to a $400 bottle of Australian Henschke "Hill of Grace" (described as arguably the rarest and best wine on Earth) would be presented on something other than three sheets of stapled paper.

But more importantly, the wines are served in stemless Riedel crystal, an indication that someone in the joint knows how to treat wine, and the menu offers low-priced "tastes" in case you can't make up your mind between the Hungarian Oremus Tokaji Furmint and French Mas Neuf.

Cuvee
177 N. Broadway, (414) 225-9800
www.cuveemke.com
Cuvee has a full bar, although the main menu's focus is on bubbly. The lengthy list of champagne cocktails -- essentially a fruity martini list, substituting champagne for flavored vodkas -- ranges from the classic mimosa ($6), champagne and orange juice, to rarities such as the Bouzy $10 (named for a village in Champagne), which features dry gin, triple sec and champagne. Regular wine -- what Cuvee calls "still wine" -- is available, too.

Dream Dance
1712 W. Canal St., (414) 847-7883
www.paysbig.com/dining/dreamdance.htm
Like Bacchus, Dream Dance -- in the Potawatomi Bingo Casino -- is an upscale restaurant, but has a separate bar area where you can enjoy anything off an amazing wine list.

Jessica's Cafe and Wine Bar
601 Milwaukee St., Delafield, (262) 646-9494
www.jessicascafe.com
Jessica's in Delafield offers a long list of wine flights, which allow you to drink different wines for a reasonable price, letting you explore new tastes and learn a lot about what's out there in the world of wine.

La Merenda
125 E. National Ave., (414) 389-0125
www.lamerenda125.com
In addition to international cuisine in a small-plate / tapas format, this Walker's Point gem has an extensive wine list with red from Australia, Italy, Argentina, France, South Africa and beyond and whites from Tasmania, Sardinia, California, New Zealand and elsewhere. Most are available by the glass.

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