400-Bottle Deep Dive in a Living Room
East Austin · Austin · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 4, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Over 400 bottles crammed into a space that feels like your coolest friend's apartment. The wine bookshelf isn't just decor — it's a browsable library of small-production bottles you won't find at the neighborhood bistro. This is a serious wine bar disguised as a cozy living room.
The list goes global with a low-intervention bent, pulling from classic regions and oddball pockets most restaurants ignore. You've got Savoie Jacquère from Domaine Charles Gonnet sitting next to Serbian Sauvignon Blanc from Bikicki, plus Santa Ynez Mourvèdre blends and Finger Lakes bubbles. It's clear someone here actually travels for wine and gives a damn about producers doing things the right way. The depth is legit — this isn't 400 labels of Napa Cab variations.
Only 10 options by the glass, but they rotate and lean adventurous. You'll find things like Quentin Harel Beaujolais-Villages and Railsback Frères' southern Rhône-style blend from California. It's a tight edit that changes often enough to keep regulars interested, though we'd love to see a few more pours given the bottle list's depth.
Quentin Harel Les Grandes Terres 2020 Beaujolais-Villages Gamay — By the glass
Serious Beaujolais by the glass at a wine bar this thoughtful usually means fair pricing and a staff that wants you to drink well without dropping serious cash
Bikicki S/O 2019 Srem Sauvignon Blanc
Serbian Sauvignon Blanc from a region you've never heard of — exactly the kind of left-field pick that makes this list worth exploring beyond the usual suspects
Ercole 2021 Moscato d'Asti DOCG
Moscato is fine for what it is, but in a 400-bottle program this deep, you're wasting your time on the safe dessert play when there's so much more interesting territory to cover
Domaine Charles Gonnet 2020 Chignin Savoie AOP Jacquère + King Salmon Crudo
Alpine freshness and mineral tension from Savoie cuts through rich salmon while the wine's delicate citrus notes echo the crudo's brightness — textbook pairing for raw fish
🔥 The Bottom Line
This is Austin's most ambitious wine program in a space small enough to feel like a secret. If you care about drinking interesting bottles from producers you can't pronounce, APT 115 is worth the reservation wait.
· Austin · Steakhouse
ALC Steaks plays it safe and plays it competently — this is a wine list that serves the room without challenging it. If you know what you're looking for, there are smart picks buried in here; if you don't, you'll still drink fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Austin · Austin · American, Italian
Sammie's is a genuinely fun room with a wine list that's earned its Wine Spectator hardware — the Italian depth is real, the sommelier knows her stuff, and Monday half-price bottles might be the best deal in Austin. Just go in knowing the markups lean steep, and let Jenny point you toward the plays that aren't on the tourist track.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
Downtown Austin · Austin · Latin Steakhouse
Ciclo is a reliable, well-run California-centric wine program that does exactly what it says on the menu — it just charges you for the privilege. If you're here for the steakhouse experience and want a Cab that won't embarrass you, Joe Pena's list delivers. Just don't expect to be surprised.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Lake Austin · Austin · Italian
68 Degrees is doing something genuinely rare in Austin: an Italian wine list with real depth, honest pricing, and a Wednesday deal that should be on your calendar. We'd send anyone here who wants to drink well without a fight.
Solid Range
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
East Austin · Austin · American, Italian
Birdie's has no business being this good at wine for a neighborhood spot on East 12th — and that's the highest compliment we can give it. Send your friends here, tell them to order Burgundy, and let them figure out on their own that this place is a wild card worth knowing.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Austin · Austin · Italian
Siena's wine list is a genuine Italian-focused program with some serious names and a half-price Monday that should be on every Austin wine drinker's calendar. Markups run steep at the high end, but the bones are good enough that we'd send a friend — especially on a Monday.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
Broadway corridor · Fort Wayne · New American
Rune is doing something genuinely rare for its zip code: building a wine list with a real identity. Come on a Wednesday, order the Ovum, and feel good about finding a place like this.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
West Plano · Plano · New American
CraftWay Kitchen isn't trying to be a wine destination and doesn't pretend to be — but the markups are fair, the glass program is wide, and there's enough on the list to drink well with a solid meal. Send your friends here for dinner; just don't send them here for a wine education.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Clemmons · Winston Salem · New American
Sixty Vines is a solid, reliable wine stop in Winston-Salem — the by-the-glass breadth is real and the staff knows their stuff, but the list reads like a greatest hits album rather than anything adventurous. Come for the volume, stay for the pizza, but don't expect to have your mind changed about wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.