Bayonet

The wine list at Bayonet hits like the restaurant itself — colorful, a little unexpected, and clearly not put together by someone who just called a Sysco rep. For a seafood spot in Birmingham, the immediate lean toward French regionality and Oregon cool-climate stuff tells you someone here actually thought about what goes with a plate of raw oysters.

The list clocks in around 40-60 bottles but punches well above its weight class. France anchors the program — Alsace, Loire, Jura, Burgundy — with Oregon filling out the new world side via Willamette Valley producers like Salem Wine Co. and Knudsen Vineyards. There's range beyond the expected: a Txakolina for the briny-shellfish crowd, a Côtes de Provence rosé for the patio pour contingent, and even a Jura Crémant for bubbles that isn't just Prosecco on autopilot. The gaps are real — Champagne is thin, and the red program is modest — but for a raw bar, that's a defensible call.

Fifteen-plus by-the-glass options is genuinely impressive for this type of spot, and the glass program reflects the same thoughtful regionality as the bottle list. You're not stuck choosing between a Pinot Grigio and a Cab Sav — the NV Clavelin Crémant du Jura at $12 and the Meyer-Fonnê Gentil at $13 are the kinds of pours that make you look smart without trying. The Gerard Bertrand sparkling orange wine at $17 is either your next obsession or the thing you tell your friends about either way.