Lincoln's Most Ambitious Wine List, Full Stop
· Lincoln · New American / Wine Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · October 9, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Art & Soul Kitchen & Wine Bar’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Sixty-five labels and 27 by-the-glass options in Lincoln, Nebraska — we weren't expecting that. The list reads like someone actually cares: there's sparkling, white, red, a reserve by-the-glass program, and even an aperitivo section. This is not your standard steakhouse wine wall.
The range here is genuinely surprising. You've got Galician Albariño from Fillaboa sitting next to a Kirchmayr Neuburger Solist from 1975 — yes, 1975 — and Nicolas Joly's legendary biodynamic Chenin Blanc from Clos de la Coulée de Serrant. Spain shows up through Vall Llach's Cariñena/Grenache blend from Priorat. Washington State gets a nod with Chatter Creek Syrah and Basel Cellars' Claret. The list isn't perfect — there are gaps in Italian reds and the New World sections feel a little scattered — but the ambition is real and the sourcing is eclectic in a way you rarely find outside major metro areas.
Twenty-seven pours is an impressive commitment, and the glass program is where this list really earns its stripes. Prices run $11–$20/glass, with most landing in the $12–$15 range — reasonable for the quality on offer. The reserve by-the-glass section, featuring wines like the Nicolas Joly Chenin Blanc at $20/glass and the Kirchmayr Neuburger at $16/glass, pushes the program into genuinely exciting territory.
The Bottom Line
Art & Soul is doing something that most restaurants in cities twice Lincoln's size wouldn't attempt: a by-the-glass program anchored by a 1975 Austrian white and a biodynamic Joly Chenin Blanc, at prices that don't make you wince. We don't have enough intel on the food menu or service to give this the full Rager treatment, but if you're in Lincoln and you care about wine, this is the room you want to be in.
· Lincoln · Steakhouse and Seafood
Wilderness Ridge is the kind of wine list that surprises you — not because it's perfect, but because it's genuinely curious for its genre and geography. The by-the-glass program alone makes it worth exploring, and the pricing doesn't punish you for doing so. If you're in Lincoln and want something interesting in the glass with your steak, this is a safe bet.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lincoln · Italian
Lincoln Ristorante is doing something genuinely unusual: running a wine list in central Nebraska that would hold its own in most major American cities. The Italian focus is deep and well-curated, the by-the-glass program gives you real options, and the pricing — particularly on the reds — is fair enough that you won't feel punished for ordering well. If you're in Lincoln and you care about wine, this is the only room that answers that call.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lincoln · Lincoln · American
For Lincoln, Nebraska, The Green Gâteau's wine list is legitimately impressive — a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence that feels earned rather than decorative. It's not going to blow the mind of someone flying in from wine country, but it's absolutely worth ordering a bottle and settling in for the evening.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Atlantic City · New American / Wine Bar
The Iron Room is the kind of wine-forward bar Atlantic City doesn't know it needs — cozy, staffed by people who care, and refreshingly serious about what's in the glass. If you're in AC and want something other than $14 Pinot Grigio at a casino bar, this is your move.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Acceptable
· Bentonville · New American / Wine Bar
Bar Cleeta is the kind of wine bar that shouldn't exist in Bentonville, Arkansas — and yet here it is, pouring Silvaner and Catarratto by the glass at prices that don't insult you. Send your adventurous friends here without hesitation.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Southlands · Aurora · New American / Wine Bar
Wine Experience Cafe is the kind of place that earns its name in a neighborhood where most restaurants don't try at all. It's not a destination list, but it's an honest one — and in a shopping center in Aurora, that's worth celebrating.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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