Bida Manda

You're sitting down to Pho Lao and lettuce wraps in one of Raleigh's most interesting dining rooms, and the wine list is shorter than you'd expect but more considered than it has any right to be. It's not trying to be a wine bar — it's trying to give you something to drink with bold, herbaceous, funky Laotian food, and it mostly succeeds. The range of whites especially suggests someone thought about the cuisine when they built this list.

Thirty to fifty bottles covering Italy, France, New Zealand, California, and Spain — which sounds unfocused until you realize the throughline is mostly aromatic whites and lighter reds that won't steamroll the food. The Massican Annia, a Tocai Friulano-led blend from Napa, is a legitimately exciting inclusion and feels like a deliberate pick rather than a distributor default. The red side is thinner — an Eric Louis Pinot Noir, a Bodegas Lanzaga Tempranillo, and a Prati Cab don't exactly scream ambition — but they're serviceable. What's missing is anything from Southeast Asia-adjacent regions like Austria or Alsace, which would be a natural fit for this cuisine.

Ten options by the glass with pours running $13–$16, which is fair for downtown Raleigh. The spread hits Prosecco, rosé, a couple of whites, and a handful of reds, covering the basics without any real surprises. There's no apparent rotation program here — this looks like a static list that gets refreshed when something runs out, not a thoughtfully curated glass program.