Bentonville's Passport-Worthy Glass Pour Program
· Bentonville · New American / Wine Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 13, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Bar Cleeta’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Bar Cleeta is a single page of twelve pours, and that restraint turns out to be a flex. Silvaner, Catarratto, Garganega, Cinsault — this is not a list built by someone who called their Sysco rep and said 'just send the usual.' Someone here is paying attention.
Twelve wines, twelve by-the-glass options — meaning the entire list is available by the glass, which is either brave or brilliant depending on how fast they move bottles. The regional sweep is genuinely impressive for a small program: you've got Austrian Grüner Veltliner from E & M Berger, Franconian Silvaner from Hans Wirsching, a Sicilian Catarratto from Luna Gaia, and a Rioja Crianza from Bodegas Lan all sitting next to each other. The gaps are real — no Burgundy, no Champagne, no aged anything — but for a curated by-the-glass bar in northwest Arkansas, this list is doing something most major cities can't be bothered to attempt. The Two Mountain Show Pony Cab Franc Blend is the one nod to the New World, and it earns its spot at the top of the price range.
Everything on the list is available by the glass, which makes this a genuine by-the-glass hero situation. Prices run $12 to $16, which is honest money for wines this interesting — you're not paying a Scottsdale markup to drink Silvaner in Arkansas. Rotation data isn't confirmed, but the list skews toward lesser-known grapes, so if you're here regularly, the program rewards curiosity.
E & M Berger Grüner Veltliner — $13
Austrian Grüner at $13 a glass is a genuine deal. Berger is a workhorse producer that punches above its price point, and this is the kind of wine that converts skeptics. Crisp, herbal, cuts through anything rich on the plate.
Hans Wirsching Silvaner
Silvaner is one of the most underrated white grapes on the planet, and most wine bars don't bother. Hans Wirsching is a top-tier Franken producer. At $15, this is the most interesting pour on the list and the one most people will skip because they don't recognize the name — which is exactly why you should order it.
Archer Roose Glera
Glera is the grape behind Prosecco, and Archer Roose is a canned wine brand doing tinned pours. At $12 it's not a rip-off, but when the Conquilla Brut Cava is sitting right there for the same price with actual complexity, there's no reason to reach for this one.
Ostatu Tempranillo/Garnacha + Charcuterie or cured meats board
Ostatu is a solid Rioja producer, and a Tempranillo-Garnacha blend has the earthy, dried-fruit backbone to go toe-to-toe with salty cured meats. It's a classic combination that doesn't need to be overthought.
The Bottom Line
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.
· Bentonville · New American / Seasonal
Conifer is doing something genuinely unusual for Arkansas: a tightly curated, white-wine-forward list with real range and fair pricing. If you're used to restaurants treating wine as an afterthought, this one will catch you off guard in the best way.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bentonville · New American
The Hive is doing more with a wine list than most restaurants in markets twice the size of Bentonville — fair prices, genuine range, and a Champagne section that earns respect. If you're in NW Arkansas and care about what's in your glass, this is your spot.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bentonville · Gastropub / New American
Tusk & Trotter isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's doing the honest work of keeping the glass full at fair prices with a by-the-glass program that almost any table can navigate. Send a friend here for dinner without worrying about the wine — just tell them to skip the Castellani.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Walnut / Retail corridor · Bentonville · Seafood and American
Bonefish Grill Rogers is not a wine destination, but it's not a disaster either — the list is safe, the glass pours are plentiful, and you won't feel cheated if you stick to the by-the-glass options. Send a friend here for the Bang Bang Shrimp; tell them to manage their wine expectations accordingly.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Rainbow Curve / I-49 Corridor · Bentonville · Italian
The Bertani Amarone and Col d'Orcia Brunello sitting on this list are like finding a Rolex in a vending machine — impressive that they exist, but the surrounding context makes the whole thing feel absurd. Come for the pasta, drink the Chianti Classico, and lower your expectations accordingly.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Northwest Bentonville · Bentonville · Steakhouse / BBQ
Fred's Hickory Inn is worth the trip for the smoke and the history — the wine list is not the reason you come. Order the barbecue, drink whatever's cold, and save the serious bottle for somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
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
· Irving · New American / Wine Bar
Bacchus has no business being this interesting with only four bottles on the list, but here we are. If you're open to drinking outside your comfort zone over brunch in suburban Texas, this tiny, weird card is worth the trip.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Scranton · New American / Wine Bar
Warney is doing something legitimately weird and committed for a mid-sized Pennsylvania city — an aperitif-forward, cocktail-wine hybrid program that rewards curiosity and doesn't punish your wallet for it. Send your most adventurous friend here and tell them to skip the Sauvignon Blanc.
Small but Thoughtful
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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