Lakeside Vibes, Familiar Pours, Fair Prices
Lakecrest · Lexington · New American · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 28, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Azur Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Azur lands exactly where you'd expect for a lakeside special-occasion spot in Lexington — recognizable names, approachable prices, nothing that's going to challenge or surprise you. It's the kind of list a table of four can navigate without any help, which is either a feature or a flaw depending on your mood. The setting does a lot of heavy lifting here.
California dominates, with Oregon and New Zealand making token appearances and Italy showing up via a single Prosecco. You're looking at the usual suspects — Sonoma Cutrer, Kim Crawford, Jordan Cab — producers that move bottles at restaurants coast to coast precisely because nobody argues with them. There's no real depth in terms of Old World representation, and if you're hoping for anything left of center — a Grüner, a Gamay, a Sicilian red — keep hoping. That said, the selections they do carry are competently chosen; Jordan Alexander Valley 2018 at the reported price point is legitimately decent, and they're not filling the list with pure garbage.
Ten-plus options by the glass is a reasonable spread for a restaurant of this type, covering sparkling, white, and red across multiple styles. Prices running $10–$15 a glass are honest for the market and the tier of wines being poured. Rotation doesn't appear to be a strong suit — this feels like a set-it list rather than something that gets refreshed with the seasons.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, CA 2018 — $45
Jordan Alexander Valley is a legitimate Cab at any price, and if Azur is moving it at the lower end of their bottle range, it's the clearest value on the list for a red wine drinker. Known producer, great vintage window, and it holds its own against a beef tenderloin without apology.
Mer Soleil Unoaked Chardonnay, Monterey, CA 2020
Most people see Chardonnay on a menu and either order it reflexively or skip it entirely. The Mer Soleil Unoaked is the move if you're in the Chard camp — no butter, no vanilla, just clean Monterey fruit. It's a smarter glass than it gets credit for, especially next to seafood.
House Chardonnay, Lodi, CA 2021
Lodi house pours exist to pad margins, not to impress. When you've got Mer Soleil Unoaked and Sonoma Cutrer sitting right next to it on the same list, there's no reason to settle here. Spend an extra few dollars and get something that justifies the occasion.
Mer Soleil Unoaked Chardonnay, Monterey, CA 2020 + Fresh Seafood
Unoaked Chardonnay and fresh seafood is a clean, high-percentage call. No competing butter or oak to fight the fish — just crisp fruit and enough acidity to keep things bright through the whole plate.
The Bottom Line
Azur is a reliable dinner-out wine experience in a city where that bar isn't always easy to clear — fair prices, recognizable producers, and a glass selection that works for most of the table. Don't come here looking for discovery, but don't worry about being gouged either.
South Lexington / Harrodsburg Road · Lexington · Italian, Contemporary Italian, Seafood
Giuseppe's isn't a wine destination, but Monday night half-price bottles make it one of the better value plays in Lexington — show up then, lean on the seafood, and you'll leave happy. Any other night, the markups ask a lot and the list doesn't ask you to think very hard.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Lansdowne / Nicholasville Road · Lexington · Italian-American
Sutton's isn't a wine destination, but it's a perfectly reasonable place to drink a bottle of Chianti while someone else handles the cooking. The Tignanello alone earns this list a second look if you know to ask for it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Gratz Park · Lexington · New American / Southern
Jonathan at Gratz Park is the kind of reliable wine room you'd expect from a historic inn with a real sommelier — competent, well-stocked, and leaning safe. Pricing is on the steeper side and the list won't surprise you, but in Lexington, this is still one of the better places to order a full bottle with dinner.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Palomar / Harrodsburg Road · Lexington · Italian, Seasonal American-Influenced
Bella Notte isn't a wine destination, but it's a reliable neighborhood spot with one genuinely smart move: Thursday half-price bottles turn a steep list into a real value play. Go on a Thursday, order the Decoy Cab with a wood-grilled steak, and you'll leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown · Lexington · Italian
ItalX is a dependable Italian wine list for a night out downtown — not exciting, but not embarrassing either. Send a friend here knowing they'll drink well enough, as long as they steer toward the Italian reds and away from the obvious tourist traps.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Summit at Fritz Farm · Lexington · New American / Southern
33 Staves is a perfectly competent hotel wine list in a city where nobody's really coming for the wine. Drink it for what it is, keep your expectations calibrated, and save the serious bottle hunting for somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Jersey City · New American
Mathews isn't a destination wine list, but it's honest, fairly priced, and more thoughtful than it looks at first glance. Send a friend here if they want a good glass without a lecture.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Western Addition · San Francisco · New American
Progress isn't trying to be the biggest wine list in San Francisco — it's trying to be the most interesting one, and it largely succeeds. If you want Napa Cab and familiar labels, go somewhere else; if you want to drink Grignolino and Furmint with dinner and feel genuinely good about the prices, this is your room.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· San Diego · New American
Paradisaea's wine list punches well above what you'd expect from a San Diego New American — eclectic without being pretentious, fairly priced without being cheap. We'd send a wine-curious friend here and tell them to skip the obvious bottles and dig into the Italian section.
Deep & Eclectic
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.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
