Highlands

Paoletti has been holding down a Best of Award of Excellence since 2005, and the list earns it — a sommelier-driven cellar with genuine depth in Piedmont and classic Europe, tucked into the North Carolina mountains. Yes, the markups sting, but when the Barolo selection reads like this, you're paying for access to something you won't find at many restaurants in a 100-mile radius.

Madison's is a legitimate destination wine list hiding inside a mountain resort town, and it's been earning that credential for nearly two decades. If you're anywhere near Highlands, you eat here and you let the sommeliers do their job.