Winston-Salem's Dependable Date Night Pour
Robinhood / North Winston · Winston Salem · Modern American, Southern · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 25, 2026
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.
Reynolda / North Winston-Salem · Winston Salem · Upscale American
Graylyn Estate is a genuinely beautiful place to have dinner, but the wine list is an afterthought in a room that deserves intention. Order the sea bass, grab the La Crema, and try not to think too hard about what this list could have been.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Clemmons · Winston Salem · New American
Sixty Vines is a solid, reliable wine stop in Winston-Salem — the by-the-glass breadth is real and the staff knows their stuff, but the list reads like a greatest hits album rather than anything adventurous. Come for the volume, stay for the pizza, but don't expect to have your mind changed about wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · Winston Salem · Indian
Oh' Calcutta's wine list is unremarkable on its own — but Tuesday nights flip the script entirely, and a $19 Pinot Noir with lamb vindaloo is a genuinely good time. Come for the food, plan around Tuesday, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown · Winston Salem · American
Cin Cin isn't a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — but Wednesday half-price wine all day on bottles and glasses turns a generic list into a genuinely good deal with a burger in hand. Show up any other night of the week and order a beer.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Brookstown · Winston Salem · Italian
Quanto Basta punches above its weight for a mid-size Southern city Italian spot — the Italian-focused list is thoughtful, the prices are fair, and Thursday half-price bottles make it one of the best weekly wine deals in Winston-Salem. Come hungry, come on a Thursday, and order the Falanghina.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Silas Creek Pkwy · Winston Salem · Japanese / Sushi
Umi is a fun hibachi night out, and the wine pricing is honestly fairer than it has any right to be — but the list itself is an afterthought, and no amount of fair markup fixes a selection that's two bottles deep in personality. Order sake, or a cocktail, and come back to us when they add a Grüner Veltliner.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.