Columbus Gets Serious About the Bottle
Columbus Ā· Columbus Ā· American, Asian Ā· Visit Website ā
Reviewed April 9, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Agni on South High Street, the wine list hits differently than you'd expect from a Columbus restaurant blending wood-fired American with Asian influence. Three hundred to five hundred selections is a serious number, and the range ā from accessible Rombauer Chardonnay to Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet ā signals that somebody here actually cares. This isn't a menu padded with filler; it has structure and intention behind it.
The backbone is California and Burgundy, and both columns hold up. You've got Kosta Browne and Domaine Drouhin Oregon representing the Pinot Noir conversation across two coasts, while Caymus and Darioush anchor the Cab side without the list leaning too trophy-hunter. France punches hard ā Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin and Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet are legitimate Burgundy benchmarks, not just name-drops. Italy shows up with Antinori Tignanello, which rounds out the Super Tuscan contingent for anyone wanting something left-field on an otherwise French-Californian-dominant card. The gap we'd note: if you're looking for natural wine or off-the-beaten-path producers, you may need to lean on the floor staff for guidance.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is an ambitious program and one of the stronger reasons to visit even without a full bottle in mind. At $12ā$22 a glass, the ceiling is fair for an upscale room, and the range means you're not stuck choosing between Chardonnay and Cabernet. With sommeliers Matt Borgerding and Kirk Stratton steering the ship, the glass list likely rotates with intention rather than just moving slow-sellers.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir ā $40sā$60s (bottle range)
Oregon Pinot from Drouhin ā a Burgundy house that translates old-world restraint to the Willamette Valley ā sits in a price tier where it consistently overdelivers. In a list that goes deep on California excess, this is the quiet pick that drinks well above its tag.
Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin
Most tables at a place like this reach for Caymus or Rombauer on autopilot. Gevrey-Chambertin is the move for anyone who wants to see what Pinot Noir actually tastes like with soil behind it ā earthy, structured, built to go with the kitchen's wood-fired proteins.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus has become the airport Chardonnay of Napa Cabs ā safe, familiar, and marked up everywhere. With Darioush on the same list offering more complexity and personality, the Caymus slot is where you let your money walk out the door uninspired.
Antinori Tignanello + Dry-aged steak
Tignanello is a Sangiovese-Cabernet blend built for red meat ā firm tannins, dark fruit, enough acidity to cut through the fat. A dry-aged steak from a wood-fired kitchen is exactly the kind of backdrop that makes this wine make sense. Skip the cocktail and let this do the work.
š„ The Bottom Line
Agni is the best wine list in Columbus most people haven't had a reason to talk about yet ā until now. With two sommeliers, a 300ā500 bottle program, and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence already in its first year, send your friends here and tell them to skip the Caymus.
German Village Ā· Columbus Ā· Italian
Cento is the rare Columbus restaurant where the wine list is a genuine reason to go, not just a footnote to the pasta. Matthew Selva's Italian-focused program earned its Wine Spectator nod honestly ā send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Columbus Ā· Columbus Ā· Spanish, Catalan
Barcelona has been earning its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2005, and the list holds up ā serious Spanish producers, fair prices, and enough glass pours to drink well across a full tapas spread. For Columbus, this is genuinely the best Spanish wine program in the room.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Columbus Ā· Columbus Ā· French, Seasonal
The Refectory has been doing this quietly and correctly since 2003, and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence held that long doesn't happen by accident. If you're in Columbus and serious about wine, this is the room ā full stop.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Easton Town Center Ā· Columbus Ā· Steak House
Mastro's Columbus is a trophy-wine steakhouse doing what trophy-wine steakhouses do ā and doing it well enough to earn a Wine Spectator credential in its first year. If you're celebrating something, drinking California cab with a great steak, and not particularly interested in venturing off the map, this list will absolutely deliver.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Columbus Ā· Columbus Ā· American, Steakhouse
Jeff Ruby's is doing the steakhouse wine list right ā deep cellar, Wine Spectator credentials, and enough California firepower to keep any red wine drinker busy all night. Bring your appetite for both the ribeye and the markup, because this room doesn't apologize for either.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Ā· Columbus Ā· Italian
Due Amici isn't a destination wine list, but it's honest, fairly priced, and hides a surprisingly thoughtful dessert wine program that most tables never discover. Send a friend here for dinner ā just make sure they order something from the back of the list.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Ā· Jackson Hole Ā· American, Asian
The Kitchen is the rare ski-resort restaurant where the wine list is actually worth your attention ā fair prices, genuine range, and a few bottles that have no business being this far from a major city. Yes, send a friend here for wine.
Solid Range
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
San Juan Ā· San Juan Ā· American, Asian
Lala is doing something genuinely surprising in San Juan: running a wine program that belongs in a major-market restaurant destination, not a mall anchor. If you're in Puerto Rico and you care about wine, you owe it to yourself to eat here.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Cary Ā· Cary Ā· American, Asian
Herons is a genuine rager hiding in a Cary hotel ā a deeply sourced, professionally managed wine program with a sommelier team that knows what they're doing. Markups run steep, as they do everywhere at this tier, but the quality and depth of what's available justifies the trip if wine is the reason you're going.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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