Omaha's Best-Kept Old World Secret
Benson · Omaha · New American / European-inspired seasonal cuisine · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 11, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You're in Benson, Omaha — not exactly the first city that comes to mind when you're craving a Beaujolais cru and grower Champagne. But Au Courant hands you a list that reads like a well-edited Parisian wine shop, and that alone earns some serious attention. It's compact, it's confident, and it knows exactly what it's doing.
The list leans hard into France and Italy, and we mean that as a compliment. Loire Valley whites, Beaujolais cru reds, Burgundy, Rhône, and Piedmont producers like G.D. Vajra give this thing real backbone — these aren't grocery store names filling space. There's some New World support to keep things accessible, but the soul of this list is unambiguously European. The only real knock is depth: it's a short list, and if you land on a busy night with specific tastes, your options narrow fast.
Eight to twelve pours on any given night, which is a solid count for a neighborhood spot this size. The Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc by the glass is a smart, food-friendly anchor, and the rotating nature of a chef-driven program means the glass list tends to track whatever's interesting on the bottle side. We'd love to see a Beaujolais cru or a grower Champagne make it to the glass program more consistently.
Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc (by the glass) — $10–$14
Clean, precise, and genuinely food-friendly — Loire Sauvignon Blanc at this price point by the glass is exactly what you want next to a seasonal pasta or a light fish prep. It doesn't overstay its welcome and it doesn't break the bank.
Beaujolais Cru (Gamay)
Most tables walk right past anything labeled Beaujolais because they're still thinking about Nouveau. A proper Beaujolais cru — Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie — is one of the most food-versatile reds on the planet, and at this price tier it's almost always a steal relative to comparable Burgundy. Don't sleep on it.
G.D. Vajra Barbera d'Alba
We love Vajra, and Barbera d'Alba is genuinely a delicious wine — but at $72 on the list versus roughly $28 at retail, you're looking at a 157% markup. That's a tough pill. If it's the only Piedmont option and you're committed, fine, but know what you're paying for.
G.D. Vajra Barbera d'Alba + Handmade pasta (rotating)
Barbera's high acidity and bright cherry fruit were practically engineered to cut through rich, butter- or cream-based pasta sauces. Whatever the rotating pasta looks like that night, this is the call — just brace for the markup.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Au Courant is quietly doing something most Omaha restaurants aren't even attempting — a focused, Old World-leaning list curated by people who actually care. The markups sting a little, but the knowledge and the selection earn it a seat at the table.
South Central Omaha · Omaha · Steakhouse, American
The Drover is a steakhouse that knows what it is and serves a wine list to match — safe, California-forward, and priced for a special occasion whether you wanted one or not. Send a friend here for the ribeye; tell them to pick Jordan and skip the Caymus tax.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Aksarben Village · Omaha · American Comfort Food
Beacon Hills is a genuinely warm neighborhood spot with food worth coming back for — the wine list, unfortunately, is an afterthought dressed up as a choice. Come on a Monday when bottles are half price, order the Claret, and enjoy the pot roast.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Westroads / Central Omaha · Omaha · Steakhouse
Saltgrass Omaha is a reliable wine stop for steak night, not a destination for wine nerds. Order the Jordan, skip the Caymus markup, and enjoy your beef.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Old Market · Omaha · Brewpub / American
Upstream isn't a wine destination, but it earns real credit for maintaining a 100-bottle list with fair markups and a Monday half-price program that's genuinely generous. If you're here for the beer, great — but don't let that stop you from ordering a bottle of Au Bon Climat.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
West Omaha · Omaha · American with Northwestern, Hawaiian and seafood influences
Twisted Cork is doing something genuinely unusual — a coherent, Northwest-focused wine program in a landlocked city, built around food that actually earns it. The markup inconsistencies are real and the Columbia Crest pricing is embarrassing, but Wine Monday at 50% off bottles resets the math considerably — go on a Monday and this list gets a lot more interesting fast.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
West Omaha · Omaha · Italian
Vincenzo's is not a wine destination — it's a neighborhood Italian where the pasta is the point and the wine list plays a supporting role with zero ambition. Come on a Tuesday, grab the Santa Margherita or the Decoy at half price, and let the list do its job without asking it to do more.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.