Scratch Kitchen, Afterthought Wine List
Northside · Iowa City · Diner / New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Bluebird Diner’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
Seven labels. That's the whole list. At a diner that clearly puts real energy into its food, the wine program feels like someone filled out a bare-minimum checkbox and called it a day. The prices are at least honest — you're not getting gouged here, just underwhelmed.
The list reads like a mid-tier grocery store endcap: Leese Fitch, William Hill, Acacia, Nobilo, Hogue — all recognizable, none exciting. California dominates, with a token nod to Columbia Valley (Hogue Riesling) and Marlborough (Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc). There's no depth, no discovery, and no independent producers in sight. If you're hoping for anything off the beaten path, you're in the wrong place.
Six of the seven bottles pour by the glass, which is fine — basically the whole list is available by the glass anyway. The $5 pours (Shania House Monastrell and Big House White Blend) are the budget tier, while the rest land at $8-$9. Rotation appears nonexistent; this list looks like it hasn't changed since the menu went to print.
Hogue Riesling, Columbia Valley — $8/glass, $26/bottle
Hogue makes a reliably food-friendly Riesling with enough bright acidity to cut through diner-style comfort food. At $26 a bottle it's priced fairly for what it is, and it's the most interesting call on a short list.
Shania House Monastrell
A Monastrell at a diner in Iowa City is genuinely unexpected. Most people will walk right past it for the Cab or Pinot, but this Spanish grape — earthy, dark-fruited, and rustic — is the one wildcard on an otherwise vanilla list.
William Hill Cabernet, CA
At $9 a glass or $29 a bottle, William Hill Cabernet is a perfectly ordinary supermarket Cab that you can find at your local grocery store for around $12. Nothing wrong with it, nothing right about it either — just a waste of a pour slot.
Hogue Riesling, Columbia Valley + Biscuits and Gravy
The Riesling's off-dry character and bright acidity do real work against rich, salty gravy and buttery biscuits — it's the kind of contrast that makes comfort food taste even more like comfort food.
The Bottom Line
Bluebird earns serious love for its food, but the wine list is pure filler — seven grocery-store bottles on a set-and-forget program. Order the biscuits and gravy, grab a coffee, and save the wine for somewhere that cares.
East Side / Riverside Drive area · Iowa City · Italian-American
The Brown Bottle is a reliable neighborhood Italian that won't embarrass you on a date or a family dinner — the wine list is safe, the prices are fair, and the Tignanello is a genuine reason to look twice. Don't come here hunting for discovery, but do come here for a cold night, a bowl of pasta, and a Chianti that gets the job done.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Iowa City · Iowa City · Farm-to-table American steakhouse and gastropub
Iowa Chop House is a perfectly competent steakhouse wine list that plays it safe from start to finish — you'll drink well, you'll pay fairly steep prices for the privilege, and you won't be surprised by anything. For Iowa City, that's honestly good enough most nights.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Iowa City · Iowa City · Steakhouse, Classic American Fine Dining
Joseph's is doing more than most Iowa City restaurants bother to do with wine, and the Champagne section alone earns some respect. But steep markups and a list that plays it safe keep it from being anything more than a reliable night out — solid enough to enjoy, not worth planning your evening around the bottle.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Northside / Downtown edge · Iowa City · Modern Italian
Basta isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't need to be — it's a fun downtown Italian spot with a reliable-enough list and one of the best recurring happy hour deals in Iowa City. Show up between 4 and 6, drink the Soave, eat the pizza, and don't overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown · Iowa City · Mexican / Tex-Mex
Order the margarita. Seriously. But if someone at the table insists on wine, the Barefoot pours are priced so close to retail that you're not getting hurt — just don't expect anything more than that.
Grocery Store
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Iowa City · Pizza / Italian-American
Pagliai's earns its legendary status in Iowa City as a pizza destination — the wine list, however, is an afterthought that nobody on staff or in the kitchen appears to think about much. Order a beer, order a soda, order another slice, and save the wine conversation for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Steep
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.
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