Boca Wood-Fired
Downtown Cincinnati's quiet European wine obsession
Downtown · Cincinnati · Wood-Fired American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 28, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You walk into a wood-fired restaurant in downtown Cincinnati expecting a California-heavy crowd-pleaser list and instead find Crémant d'Alsace, Anjou Blanc, and a Grüner from Wagram staring back at you. It's a genuine surprise. Whoever built this list was paying attention.
Selection Deep Dive
The list leans hard into France — Alsace, Loire, Burgundy, Champagne, Anjou — with a nod to Tuscany and an Austrian detour via OTT's Grüner Veltliner from Wagram. These aren't grocery store names: Vilmart & Cie Premier Cru, Tenuta Carleone Chianti Classico, and Pierre-Vincent Girardin's Vieilles Vignes Bourgogne Blanc all signal a curator who's done real homework. California makes an appearance but feels like an afterthought on what is otherwise a committed old-world roster. The one gap is depth — this list reads like it's curated to a tight, rotating selection rather than a deep cellar.
By the Glass
Eighteen by-the-glass options is a strong number, and the range here actually earns that count — you're not getting 18 versions of Chardonnay and Cabernet. Prices run $17 to $36 a glass, which is honest for the quality tier but will add up fast if you're pouring through dinner. No obvious rotation program, which is a missed opportunity on a list this interesting.
2024 Grüner Veltliner, Am Berg, OTT, Wagram, Austria — $17/glass
OTT is a respected Austrian producer and Wagram Grüner at the low end of this glass list is punching well above its price point — crisp, food-friendly, and the kind of wine most tables will walk right past.
2023 Anjou Blanc, Zersilles, Château de Plaisance, Anjou, France
Château de Plaisance is a serious biodynamic Loire producer and Anjou Blanc is one of the most underrated appellations in France. This is the kind of bottle that makes wine nerds light up and everyone else go 'wait, what is this?'
MV Vilmart & Cie, Grand Cellier, Premier Cru, Champagne, France
Vilmart is genuinely excellent Champagne, but at bottle prices landing north of $100 on a list with no half-price program and no noted cellar credentials, you're paying a steep restaurant premium for bubbles you could source elsewhere for considerably less.
2022 Chianti Classico, Tenuta Carleone, Tuscany, Italy + Wood-fired proteins
Tenuta Carleone's Chianti Classico has the acid and structure to cut through char and fat — Sangiovese and wood smoke are a combination that's been working for centuries, and this producer isn't here to mess with that formula.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Boca is doing something genuinely interesting with wine in a city that doesn't always demand it — the list is tight but thoughtful, and the by-the-glass program alone is worth a detour. Bring your appetite for both food and discovery, just keep an eye on the check.
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