Napa-heavy hitter in mid-Missouri
Downtown · Columbia · Contemporary American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 4, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Bleu Restaurant & Bar’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The list at Bleu reads like a greatest hits album of American fine dining wine — Silver Oak, Rombauer, Opus One, Veuve Clicquot. It's confidently curated for a crowd that knows what they like and doesn't want to be challenged. For Columbia, Missouri, it's impressive on paper.
Forty-seven labels isn't a small list, but the approach is firmly safe: Napa Cabernet dominates, with Stag's Leap Artemis and both Silver Oak expressions anchoring the reds. France gets a nod via Clos de L'Oratoire des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Marqués de Cáceres Gran Reserva Rioja covering Spain, while Argentina and New Zealand round out the international presence. What's missing is any real adventurousness — no natural wine, no grower Champagne, nothing from Burgundy or the Rhône's smaller producers. If you came looking for a Trousseau or a Jura oddity, keep walking.
Twenty-four by-the-glass options is genuinely generous, and having both a 3oz and 6oz pour option is a smart move that lets people explore without committing to a full glass. The range skews predictable — expect your Rombauer Chardonnay and crowd-friendly reds — but the sheer number of pours means you can build a decent flight across your meal without touching a bottle.
Marqués de Cáceres Gran Reserva Rioja — $46
Easily the most interesting bottle on the list relative to what it delivers. Gran Reserva Rioja offers complexity — aged Tempranillo with real structure and savory depth — at a price point that doesn't require a second mortgage. In a list dominated by Napa excess, this is the quiet overachiever.
Clos de L'Oratoire des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Most tables here will default to Silver Oak and never look back. But the Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a serious Rhône blend from a reliable Southern Rhône producer — garrigue, dark fruit, genuine complexity. It's the one wine on this list that feels like it belongs on a more ambitious list, and most diners will walk right past it.
Opus One Napa Valley
At $275, you're paying a premium that makes sense at a destination wine restaurant with proper cellar management and staff who can contextualize it. At Bleu, with no confirmed sommelier on staff and a list that's otherwise crowd-pleasing, the risk-to-reward ratio isn't there. Buy it at retail and save it for a better occasion.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Napa Valley Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon + Steak nightly feature
Artemis is a textbook Napa Cab — structured tannins, dark cherry, cedar — and it locks right in with whatever steak is running that night. It's the obvious call, but it's obvious for a reason. Sometimes the answer is just the right one.
The Bottom Line
Bleu is the kind of wine list that works well if you already know what you want and want it done properly. It's not pushing any boundaries, the markups are on the steeper side, and there's no real discovery to be had — but for a night out in Columbia, it's a solid, well-stocked option that won't let you down.
Downtown / Alley A · Columbia · European beer garden and café
Günter Hans is a fantastic spot for beer, waffles, and atmosphere — the wine list is an afterthought wearing a Canyon Road uniform. Order a craft beer, enjoy every minute of the pretzel, and come back when they decide wine deserves the same love as everything else on the menu.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Near Campus · Columbia · American Sports Bar
Campus Bar & Grill is a great place to watch a Mizzou game and drink a beer — and that's exactly what you should do. The wine program is an afterthought from a restaurant that has no interest in wine, and we respect the honesty of that even as we wave you toward the tap list.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Columbia · Columbia · Upscale globally influenced cuisine with Italian-inspired fare, seafood, pasta, steak, and gourmet pizzas
Sophia's is doing more with wine than almost anywhere else in Columbia, and we'd happily send a friend here — with a warning to navigate carefully around the commodity wines and go straight for the reserve list. The ambition is real; the markup discipline just hasn't caught up yet.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Columbia · Columbia · New American
Sycamore is doing something genuinely unusual in Columbia: running a tight, thoughtful wine list with real producers and fair prices, backed by someone on staff who knows what they're talking about. Come on a Wednesday and it's a no-brainer.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Acceptable
Forum Boulevard / south Columbia · Columbia · American and international; steak and seafood-focused
Chris McD's is doing more with wine than almost any restaurant in Columbia — 35 by-the-glass pours and some genuinely interesting cellar selections earn it real credibility. Markups run steep and the list leans heavily on California safe bets, but as a neighborhood wine bar that also happens to serve a good steak, it punches above its weight class.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Columbia · Columbia · American, Creole
Glenn's Café is a dependable wine destination by mid-Missouri standards — not flashy, but fairly priced and backed by a legitimate Wine Spectator track record. Send a friend here knowing they'll drink well without any nasty surprises on the bill.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Beaver Creek Plaza · Vail · Contemporary American
Golden Eagle Inn is the kind of reliable mountain wine list that won't embarrass you on a date or a client dinner, but it'll charge you for the altitude at every turn. The Brunello and the Bouchard Beaune are genuine bright spots — find those, skip the Veuve, and you'll have a good night.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Vail Village · Vail · Contemporary American
Sweet Basil is the best wine list in Vail by a wide margin — 400 bottles, a real Cruvinet program, and a sommelier who put actual thought into the selections. The markups sting, but that's mountain dining; the quality justifies the trip.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
West Sedona · Sedona · Contemporary American
The Hudson isn't going to make any wine lists for its wine list, but it's a solid, competent program for what this place is — a lively upscale-casual spot where the views are doing a lot of the work. Send your friends here for dinner and tell them to stick to the bottles under $70.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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