Winston-Salem's Dependable Date Night Pour
Robinhood / North Winston · Winston Salem · Modern American, Southern · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 25, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Bleu Restaurant and Bar’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Sixty-three labels at an upscale-casual spot in Winston-Salem is a respectable showing — more thought went into this list than most comparable restaurants in the market. It reads like someone with decent taste put it together, then nobody touched it for a while. Still, the breadth alone earns some goodwill before you've taken a sip.
California is the backbone here, and it's well-represented across Napa, Sonoma, the Central Coast, and the Santa Lucia Highlands. There's a real Chardonnay deep cut — Olivier Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet sits alongside Cakebread, Jordan, Trefethen, and Mer Soleil, which is a genuinely impressive row of bottles for a neighborhood restaurant. The Pinot Noir section shows similar range, with Belle Glos, Rex Hill, and Steele all checked in. The nod to local NC producers — Shelton from the Yadkin Valley and Biltmore Estate — is a nice touch, even if the overall list skews heavily toward the familiar and safe. Gaps show up on the red side: Cabernet Sauvignon is notably thin, and there's almost no Italian or Spanish presence beyond a single Friuli Pinot Grigio.
The by-the-glass program is estimated at 10–16 options, which is solid for a spot this size. At $9–$16 a glass, the ceiling is reasonable, but you'll want to know what you're ordering before you ask — staff knowledge here appears uneven, and you may get a shrug more than a recommendation. No obvious rotation or weekly BTG specials means what's on the menu is what you get.
Casa Lapostolle 'Cuvée Alexandre' Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley, Chile — $35–$40 (est.)
This is a legitimately well-made, barrel-fermented Chardonnay from one of Chile's best producers. On a list full of California names charging California prices, Casa Lapostolle's Cuvée Alexandre consistently over-delivers for the money. It's the smart pick if you want something interesting without paying Cakebread prices.
Château d'Aqueria Tavel Rosé, Southern Rhône, France
Tavel is one of the few appellations in France that makes rosé built for serious drinking — not a patio sipper, but a wine with real weight and complexity from Grenache and Cinsault. Most guests at a place like this will order a safe Pinot Grigio and walk right past it. Their loss.
Canyon Road Moscato, California
Canyon Road is a supermarket brand that retails for under $7. Seeing it on the wine list of an upscale-casual restaurant is the kind of padding that drags a list down. Whatever they're charging for it here, it's too much.
Château Carbonnieux, Graves, Bordeaux, France + Shrimp and Grits
Château Carbonnieux Blanc is a Sauvignon Blanc-Sémillon blend with minerality and subtle citrus that cuts through the richness of the shrimp and grits without steamrolling it. It's one of the more serious bottles on the list, and the savory, slightly smoky notes in the dish match the wine's earthy Graves character well.
The Bottom Line
Bleu is a reliable wine destination for Winston-Salem — not a destination list, but a thoughtful one with genuine highlights buried among the familiar. The markups sting a little, but the presence of Puligny-Montrachet and Tavel rosé on a neighborhood restaurant list tells you someone here actually gives a damn.
· Winston Salem · Modern Mexican
Alma Mexicana is a genuine wild card — a modern Mexican restaurant in Winston-Salem with a wine program that's quietly pointing at Old World Europe instead of the expected California house pour. We need the full list to give you the real numbers, but the instinct here is good enough to warrant ordering something other than a margarita.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
· Winston Salem · Wine Bar / Bottle Shop
The Caviste is doing something genuinely weird for Winston-Salem — a curated, Austria-only bottle shop with prices that should embarrass most restaurant wine lists. If you're even slightly curious about Grüner Veltliner or natural-leaning reds, this is a low-risk, high-reward detour.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Winston Salem · Winery Tasting Room / Light Bites
Divine Llama is a fun, farm-genuine detour if you're exploring North Carolina wine country and want something local and unpretentious. Don't come for depth or discovery beyond the estate — come for the story, the setting, and a glass of Traminette you probably wouldn't have ordered anywhere else.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Winston Salem · American Cafe
West End Cafe isn't a wine destination, but it's a perfectly decent place to drink something decent without overpaying for it. Send a friend here if they want wine with dinner and aren't looking to make an event out of it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Winston Salem · Wine Bar / Market
Little Pep is doing something genuinely uncommon for Winston-Salem: a short, confident, all-by-the-glass natural wine list with real producer cred and fair prices. Send a curious friend here; skip sending someone who wants a Napa Cab.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Winston Salem · Wine Bar / Small Plates
Manolo's is a genuine surprise for Winston-Salem — a focused, serious wine program that gives you by-the-glass access to bottles most restaurants lock behind full-bottle commitments. The markup is not subtle, but you're paying for curation and access, and if you pick smart, the experience delivers.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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