“I’m going to Jackson.” Sanderson Farms Championship, The Country Club of Jackson, October 3-6, 2024
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If going to Jackson is good enough for Johnny Cash*, it’s good enough for us. And judging from the restaurants in Jackson we surveyed, not going would be a mistake. Ok, the wines have some catching up to do, but given the energy behind the food, we’ll go out on a limb and guess they won’t lag for too much longer. Below are some options where you’ll do just fine right now.
On the retail side, it seems we have multiple contenders claiming they are the “best in Mississippi,” but no one will “put their Morey where their mouth is,” meaning they don’t show inventory online. We list some of these no-see-ums below.
Restaurants:
Elvie’s was recently recognized as a hot spot by no less an authority than the NY Times. The wine list leans heavily organic/natural, but it’s full of surprises and good fun. “Pulpe Fiction” sounds more like a cutesy craft beer to me but it’s actually a French muscadet. You get the idea.
Walker’s Drive-In, despite the aw-shucks name, easily has the best traditional wine list we could find, especially deep in California reds. Their sister wine bar, CAET, is no slouch either and at least in terms of what’s visible, handily eclipses it on the high end. CAET along with Koestler below is the splurge option in Jackson, but both places have tons of choices below $50 a bottle, so everybody win(e)s.
Koestler Prime has a classic steakhouse list heavy in reds with some impressive verticals, including a ton of wines from Saxum and a very large collection of Guigal La La’s, Penfold’s Grange Hermitage and several top Bordeaux. It’s a good bet for a big night out.
Estelle Wine Bar and Bistro had a nice list when they last published it online in 2022. Now the best we can say is they are a “No See Um” and hope they stayed with the program.
Retail:
Here is a short list of the stores that claim to be the best in either Jackson or all of Mississippi. With no customer-facing evidence of such, you’ll have to take your chances: Fondren (the retail trend setter!), Wine & Spirits in the Quarter (Mississippi’s Biggest-and Best!), Kat’s Wine and Spirits (Higher scores/Lower prices, Mississippi’s Wine Destination for nearly 55 years!), Briarwood Wines and Spirits (Mississippi’s Finest Wine and Spirits!). They can’t all be right.
*Ok, we know the song was probably written about Jackson, TN, but we’re hoping nobody calls our bluff
