Fayetteville's most serious wine list, full stop
Dickson Street · Fayetteville · New American with French and Italian Influence · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 14, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walk into Bordinos and the wine list feels like it means business — 200-plus bottles in a college town is a statement. The warm, intimate room sets the right tone: this isn't a place that threw some Cab and Chard on a laminated card and called it a wine program. There's genuine effort here, even if some of the choices lean predictably Californian.
The list leans heavily on California, with France and Italy filling the supporting roles. You'll find the crowd-pleasers front and center — Caymus, Jordan, and Rombauer are all present, which tells you something about who Bordinos is playing to. That's not a knock exactly, but if you're hoping for a grower Champagne or a nervy Etna Rosso hiding in the back pages, temper those expectations. The French and Italian sections offer some depth, though the list doesn't stray far from well-known appellations.
Twenty to thirty options by the glass is a legitimately strong program for Fayetteville — most places in this zip code give you six and call it a day. Meiomi Pinot Noir makes an appearance on the glass list, which signals that crowd-pleasing pours dominate. Rotation frequency is unclear, but the sheer number of options means you're not stuck choosing between bad and worse.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — null
Jordan consistently overdelivers for the Alexander Valley tier it occupies — structured, food-friendly, and approachable without the hype tax that Caymus carries. If the markup is in a reasonable range, this is the bottle we'd reach for at the table.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon
In a room where Caymus gets all the attention, Jordan quietly offers more complexity and better aging potential. Most tables ordering Cab here will go straight for the Caymus — don't be most tables.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is fine wine at fair prices in a grocery store. In a restaurant at likely 3x markup, you're paying a premium for a label that everyone already knows. The juice doesn't justify the restaurant price tag when better options sit nearby on the same list.
Rombauer Chardonnay + Duck Confit
Rombauer's rich, oak-forward style — built on ripe fruit and generous texture — actually holds its own against the fatty, savory depth of duck confit in a way that leaner Chardonnays can't. It's not a subtle pairing, but it works.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Bordinos is doing real work as the wine anchor of Fayetteville's dining scene — a 200-bottle list with serious by-the-glass depth puts it in a class of its own locally. The markups sting and the list plays it safe with California heavyweights, but for Northwest Arkansas, this is the place you bring someone when the wine actually matters.
Uptown / Steele Crossing · Fayetteville · Upscale casual seafood and American grill
Bonefish Grill in Fayetteville is a perfectly competent chain wine experience — you won't be offended, but you won't be excited either. If you're here for the seafood and just want something cold and reasonable in your glass, it gets the job done; just don't expect the wine list to be the reason you come back.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North College Avenue · Fayetteville · Steakhouse / American
Texas Roadhouse is a perfectly fine place to eat a steak and drink a beer or a frozen margarita — that is what it was built for. The wine list is an afterthought bolted onto a concept that does not need it, and you should treat it accordingly.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North College Avenue · Fayetteville · Italian / Pizzeria
Bocca isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes no pretense otherwise — but it's priced fairly, it's Italian through and through, and it does exactly what a neighborhood pizzeria wine list should do. Send your friends here for dinner, not for a wine education.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Dickson Street · Fayetteville · Lounge / Wine & Cocktail Bar
Theo's is the rare Fayetteville spot where you can order wine without second-guessing yourself — the list is small, honest, and fairly priced for what it is. Send your friends here for a date night; just don't expect them to come back with a wine education.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North College Avenue · Fayetteville · Modern Ozark / Contemporary American
Mockingbird Kitchen is a reliable neighborhood dinner spot where the wine list does its job without embarrassing anyone. Come for the food, drink what's in front of you, and don't expect a revelation in the glass.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East of Fayetteville · Fayetteville · Winery / Event Venue
Sassafras Springs is not a destination for serious wine hunters, but it's absolutely a destination — a genuinely pleasant Arkansas vineyard making real wines at real prices in a setting that earns its reputation. Send your friends out on a Wednesday and tell them to order the Syrah.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.