Wednesday Saves What the List Can't
Downtown · Des Moines · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 20, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Americana’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Americana reads like a greatest hits album from the grocery store aisle — Meiomi, Kim Crawford, Kendall-Jackson, La Marca. It's not offensive, but it's not trying very hard either. This is a cocktail bar that happens to serve wine, and the list makes that clear immediately.
The 40-to-70-bottle list leans heavily on California and broad New World crowd-pleasers, with no real sense of curation or regional adventure. You'll find the reliable names that every table recognizes — J. Lohr Cab, Francis Coppola Claret, KJ Chardonnay — but nothing that makes you pause or get curious. There's no old-world anchor, no natural wine flirtation, no local Iowa producer love. It covers the bases without ever swinging for the fences.
The by-the-glass program runs 8 to 14 options and mirrors the bottle list — safe, familiar, and fine. Pours are priced $8 to $14, which is reasonable for downtown Des Moines, though you're mostly paying for the name recognition. Don't expect rotation or seasonal surprises here.
Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Claret — $34
The markup on this one is actually the most restrained on the list at under 90% over retail — and it's a soft, approachable red blend that works across the whole menu. By Americana's own standards, this is the best deal in the book.
J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon
Most people at this table are ordering cocktails, which means this bottle gets overlooked constantly. J. Lohr Seven Oaks is genuinely well-made Paso Robles Cab — structured and food-friendly — and at $30 it holds its own next to a burger or the mac and cheese.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay
At $28 for a bottle you can grab for $13 at Total Wine, this is the least interesting wine on the list at the worst value ratio. There's nothing wrong with KJ Chard, but you can do better here for the same money.
Meiomi Pinot Noir + Mac and Cheese
Meiomi is big, plush, and slightly sweet — which sounds wrong for pasta until you remember this mac is rich and indulgent. The fruit-forward profile cuts through the fat without clashing, and it's the kind of pairing that works precisely because neither side is asking too much of the other.
Wednesday — Industry Night every Wednesday from 3:30 p.m. to close in the bar area — half-price on bottles and glasses of wine. Reserve and limited-list bottles may be excluded.
The Bottom Line
Americana is a great night out for brunch, cocktails, and good times — the wine list is just along for the ride. Show up on a Wednesday, hit the half-price bottles in the bar, and order the Coppola Claret.
Downtown Des Moines · Des Moines · American, Regional
Proudfoot & Bird is the kind of place where the room earns a star the wine list can't quite match — solid enough for a business dinner or a date night in a stunning space, but don't come expecting to find something you've never heard of. If you're in Des Moines and want a dependable glass in a beautiful room, it works.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Johnston · Des Moines · Wine bar / American
Louie's Johnston is exactly what a suburban wine bar should be — a big by-the-glass list, fair prices, and zero pretension. Send your friends here when they want to drink well without a side of attitude.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Clive · Des Moines · Steakhouse & American
Club Car is a reliable steakhouse wine list doing exactly what it was built to do: keep Cab drinkers happy and nobody walking out complaining. Don't come here for discovery, but don't leave without ordering the Jordan.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waukee · Des Moines · Japanese / Asian Fusion / Sushi
Wasabi Waukee is a genuinely good sushi restaurant that treats its wine list like an afterthought — familiar names, steep markups, and zero curiosity about what wines might actually sing alongside the food. Order the cocktails or sake instead, and save the wine discussion for somewhere that cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Ingersoll / Grand · Des Moines · Contemporary American
Louie's Wine Dive is the kind of place Des Moines needs more of — a real wine program in a no-pretense room, with Tuesday half-price deals that make experimenting genuinely low-stakes. It's not a destination list, but it's absolutely a destination night.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Clive · Des Moines · American, Brewpub
Granite City is a brewery that tolerates wine, and the list reflects that perfectly. Drink the beer — it's the whole point of being here.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lake Geneva · New American
Turf. Kitchen + Tap looks like a solid resort wine program — broad enough geographically to suggest some genuine effort, casual enough in setting that nobody's going to quiz you on your order. We'd feel comfortable sending a friend here for a relaxed dinner with a decent glass of wine, but we'd stop short of calling it a destination for the list itself. Come for the views and the Choriqueso; the wine will take care of itself.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Sonoma · New American
El Dorado Kitchen isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's set up squarely in one, and the list reflects that self-awareness. Fair pricing, smart local representation, a few genuinely interesting outliers, and the full list available by the glass make this a reliable stop for a well-poured evening in Sonoma. If you're after a deep cellar or something truly adventurous, look elsewhere — but if you want to drink well without stress, this delivers.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · New American
Siren has a wine list that punches above its weight in a few key areas — particularly the by-the-glass whites and the Champagne bottle program — but the markup structure means you're spending real money to access it. If you're the kind of diner who wants to order Furmint on a Tuesday night in Atlanta, this is one of the few places that makes that possible, and that alone earns it a spot on the shortlist.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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