St. Paul

Ngon Vietnamese Bistro

· St. Paul · Vietnamese

The Reliable

Ngon's wine list isn't going to impress anyone who cares deeply about wine, but it's not trying to. Pricing is fair, nearly everything pours by the glass, and the Bieler rosé is exactly what you should be drinking with a bowl of pho. Send a friend here for dinner without worrying they'll get fleeced — just steer them away from the DAOU.

Fhima's Minneapolis

Downtown Minneapolis · St. Paul · French-Mediterranean / New American

The Reliable

Fhima's is a reliable wine list in a room that deserves one — the glass count is impressive, there are genuine finds buried in there if you look past the Cabs and Chardonnays, and the Italian selections in particular show real range. Markups lean steep on the bigger names, so stay mid-list and you'll eat and drink well. Yes, send a friend here for wine — just steer them away from the Austin Hope.

The Vermilion

· St. Paul · Cocktail Bar and Italian

The Wild Card

The Vermilion isn't a wine list for every night out, but it's one of the most intentional specialty lists we've seen in the Twin Cities — a full dessert and fortified wine program executed with actual conviction. If you're the kind of person who's ever wanted to work through a Tokaji, a Madeira, and a Macvin du Jura in one sitting, this is your spot.

Golden Thyme Coffee & Cafe

Rondo · St. Paul · Cafe and New American

The Lazy List

Golden Thyme deserves every bit of its community love, and the kitchen is cooking at a level the wine list hasn't caught up to yet. Come for the jambalaya linguine and the catfish po'boy — just don't plan your evening around what's in the glass.

Restaurant Aubergine

· St. Paul · French

The Wild Card

Restaurant Aubergine is running an eleven-bottle wine program that punches well above its weight class — the selections are specific, considered, and genuinely adventurous for a French spot in the Twin Cities. If you want a deep cellar and a leather-bound wine bible, look elsewhere; if you want someone's honest, well-edited point of view in a glass, this earns your attention.

Boca Chica Restaurante

· St. Paul · Mexican

The Lazy List

Boca Chica is almost certainly a great neighborhood spot for Mexican food, but the wine program is an afterthought. Eight unlabeled house varietals and a White Zinfandel on the menu is all the signal you need — order the sangria, order a margarita, and save the wine night for somewhere else.

Chianti Grill – Roseville

Roseville · St. Paul · Italian / Steakhouse Hybrid

The Reliable

Chianti Grill is not here to challenge you — it's here to give you a familiar Italian-American night out with wine that won't embarrass anyone. Watch the markups on the California pours, lean into the Italian section, and order the Chianti flight at least once.

Cafe Lurcat

· St. Paul · New American

The Reliable

Cafe Lurcat is a reliable anchor for a Minneapolis date night, and the wine list won't embarrass you — but at these prices, you'd want it to thrill you a little more than it does. Go for the atmosphere and the food; treat the wine list as a solid supporting cast, not the headline act.

Sunfish Cellars Wine Bar & Bistro

St. Paul · St. Paul · Wine Bar / Bottle Shop Bistro

The Wild Card

Sunfish Cellars is punching several weight classes above its size — a 19-bottle list with three Sadie Family wines and an Elvio Cogno Nascetta at $15 is not something you stumble across. If you care about wine and you're in St. Paul, you need to know this place exists.

Luci Ancora

Randolph · St. Paul · Italian

The Reliable

Luci Ancora isn't here to dazzle wine geeks, but it earns its keep as a thoughtful neighborhood Italian with a list that respects the kitchen. If you're after a quiet dinner and a well-chosen Italian bottle, you're in the right place.

Lela

· St. Paul · Steak / Seafood / Italian

The Reliable

Lela's wine list is competent hotel work — nothing that'll surprise you, but enough to get through a steak dinner without regret. Lean into the Sancerre or Riesling, avoid the Caymus markup, and you'll be fine.

Lake Elmo Inn

· St. Paul · Fine Dining American

The Reliable

Lake Elmo Inn has a wine list that earns genuine respect — fair prices, a real by-the-glass program, and a Coravin setup that shows they're thinking beyond the ordinary. It's not destination wine territory, but if you're already going for dinner, you're in good hands.

Milly's Wine Bar & Bistro

Mill District · St. Paul · Wine Bar / Bistro

The Wild Card

Milly's is for the curious drinker who wants to understand wine, not just drink it, and the comparative flight format makes that happen without any lecturing. If you're in St. Paul and want to actually learn something about what's in your glass, this is the move.

Herbie's On The Park

· St. Paul · American / Sports-Adjacent Brasserie

The Lazy List

Herbie's wine program is on autopilot — it gets the job done for guests who just want something familiar with their meal, but anyone who actually cares about what's in the glass should order a cocktail and move on. Send your wine-curious friends somewhere else.

Cafe Latte

· St. Paul · Cafe / Pizza / Bakery

The Wild Card

Cafe Latte is the Wild Card because nobody expects a café in St. Paul to stock Ridge and Scribe alongside a Sancerre and a Quinta de Noval Port at these prices. Go for the pizza, stay because the wine list is quietly doing something right.

Small Hours

· St. Paul · Wine Bar

The Wild Card

Small Hours is the rare Minneapolis wine bar that feels like it was built for people who actually love wine, not just the idea of it. If you're showing up for a bottle and some duck leg confit with a record on in the background, you're going to have a very good night.

Troubadour Wine Bar

St. Paul · St. Paul · Wine Bar / Music Venue

The Wild Card

Troubadour is a legit Wild Card — a music venue with enough wine ambition to surprise you, held back by steep markups and a list that plays it safe on the red side. Come for the Dolcetto and the Rimage, skip the Oaky California bottles, and enjoy the show.

Domacin Restaurant & Winebar

St. Paul · St. Paul · Mediterranean / New American

The Wild Card

Domacin is doing something genuinely unusual — a full by-the-glass list with real depth and fair prices — and it mostly lands. If you're in St. Paul and want to actually explore wine with dinner, this is the room to be in.

Solo Vino Wine Shop

Cathedral Hill / Summit Avenue · St. Paul · Wine Bar / Retail with Food Pop-Ups

The Wild Card

Solo Vino is the kind of wine shop that moonlights as a destination, and the tasting bar makes it worth the trip even if you don't buy a bottle — though you will. Send your wine-curious friends here before they spend the same money on something forgettable at a restaurant down the street.

Yarusso Bros Italian Restaurant

Payne-Phalen · St. Paul · Italian

The Lazy List

Yarusso Bros is a St. Paul institution worth visiting for the food, the history, and the vibe — just don't make the wine the reason you go. Order a glass of whatever's cold, eat the meatballs, and enjoy it for what it is.

Shish Mediterranean Kitchen

Macalester-Groveland · St. Paul · Mediterranean and Middle Eastern

The Lazy List

Shish is a genuinely good casual Mediterranean spot — the food earns its reputation on Grand Avenue. But the wine list is strictly utilitarian, and you'd be better served ordering a beer or skipping the wine altogether until they decide to put in some effort.

Bon Vie Bistro

Macalester-Groveland · St. Paul · French Bistro

The Reliable

Bon Vie Bistro isn't trying to be a wine destination and doesn't pretend to be — but it gets the fundamentals right, keeps prices honest, and makes an easy case for a $10 Bordeaux with your quiche. Send your friends here when they want a relaxed weeknight pour without the markup guilt.

Citizen — The InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront

Downtown · St. Paul · New American

The Reliable

Citizen is a competent hotel wine list doing exactly what a hotel wine list is supposed to do — keep everyone comfortable and no one too excited. If you're here for the view and a pre-dinner glass, the rosé section will take care of you; just don't come expecting discovery.

Red Cow St. Paul

Cathedral Hill · St. Paul · American, gourmet burgers & pub fare

The Wild Card

Red Cow St. Paul has no business having a wine list this good, and that's exactly why we like it. Send a friend here — just make sure they know to skip the Bollinger and go straight for the Muscadet.

Buca di Beppo

Downtown · St. Paul · Italian

The Lazy List

Buca di Beppo's wine list is exactly what you'd expect from a corporate Italian chain: safe, familiar, and overpriced for what you get. Order the Chianti, enjoy the meatballs, and don't overthink it — but don't come here expecting the wine to be part of the experience.

Kincaid's Fish, Chop & Steakhouse

Downtown · St. Paul · Seafood and Steakhouse

The Reliable

Kincaid's is exactly what it is — a reliable business-dinner wine list that keeps the table happy without taking any risks. If Monday's half-price bottle promotion holds at this location, it becomes a legitimately solid deal; otherwise, manage expectations and lean into the Port.

Gus Gus

Cathedral Hill · St. Paul · Neighborhood bistro with eclectic American small plates and elevated bar food

The Wild Card

Gus Gus is what happens when someone who actually drinks interesting wine opens a neighborhood spot and resists the urge to play it safe. The list is small, the prices are fair, and it'll make you look smart in front of whoever you brought — send your friends here.

Estelle

Macalester-Groveland · St. Paul · Mediterranean- and Iberian-inspired New American

The Wild Card

Estelle is a cozy St. Paul neighborhood spot that's quietly running one of the more interesting by-the-glass programs in the Twin Cities — Iberian-leaning, fairly priced, and genuinely thoughtful. If you care about wine and you're in the area, the list alone is worth the stop.

Red Rabbit St. Paul

Downtown · St. Paul · Italian (pizza, pasta, oysters)

The Reliable

Red Rabbit isn't a destination wine spot, but it's a reliable neighborhood Italian that respects wine enough to stock Bollinger and Soave Classico alongside the wood-fired pies. The markups keep it from climbing higher, but for a lively Grand Avenue dinner, the list does its job well.

Mancini's Char House & Lounge

West Seventh · St. Paul · Classic American steakhouse / supper club

The Reliable

Mancini's is a St. Paul institution and the wine list reflects that — it's there, it's fine, and it's not trying to be anything other than a supporting player to one of the best steakhouse experiences in the Twin Cities. Order the house white, get the ribeye, and let the room do the rest.