Bellavino Wine Bar, Thousand Oaks

Wine expert Richard Belloff collects striking wines from across the planet to adorn the racks at Bellavino Wine Bar & Restaurant, winner of Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence for the last seven years in a row as well as the Ventura County Star's 2013 Readers' Choice award for best wine bar. Bellavino also hosts a variety of classes and events each month, inviting others to learn about their cellar's impressive selection.

Beneath the high, glittering lights of the dining room, a full menu of bar bites, entrees, cheeses, and charcuterie complement wines by the glass and bottle. At the wine bar, Chilean Apaltagua pinot noir and Sierra Madre chardonnay dance modestly inside glasses to the soundtrack of live musical acts playing on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.