Winner by a melchior and no wonder. A cellar full of thousands of bottles and a dedicated wine team make for the best selection in town. Manager Vera Walsh can recite numbers much higher than seven: “We have more than 37 wines by the glass; also three sparkling and champagne. We have 187 wines by the bottle and 257 in a private cellar.” Patrons can go down to the cellar and pick what they like and it’s not necessarily the pricey stuff that’s down there; it’s the rare bottles and some aren’t expensive at all. Walsh says they don’t buy from only the local government, but from shows and makers around the world, making seven the lucky number for Halifax oenophiles.

Runner-up: Bish, 1475 Lower Water, 425-7993