C. Grace
Speakeasy Vibes, Surprisingly Serious Wine Game
Downtown · Raleigh · Cocktail Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 17, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You walk into C. Grace expecting a cocktail-forward Prohibition fantasy — dim lights, jazz, a bartender who knows what a Sazerac is — and you get exactly that. What you don't expect is a wine list with 18 by-the-glass options and a Karthäuserhof Riesling sitting next to a Tua Rita Super Tuscan. This place is hiding a real wine program behind all the speakeasy theater.
Selection Deep Dive
The list punches well above its weight for a cocktail bar. You've got Old World depth — a Grüner Veltliner from Lower Austria, Sancerre from Julie Et Patrick Noel, a Malbec from Cahors rather than the obligatory Mendoza — alongside credible New World picks like the Duckhorn Napa Chardonnay and the Decoy Limited Cab from Alexander Valley. The Quinta Da Mariposa from Dão, Portugal is the kind of left-field pick that tells you someone with some actual curiosity built this list. Gaps show up in the direction of Italy — the two Pinot Grigios feel redundant — and there's no real sparkling depth beyond the La Marca and a Cava. But for a jazz bar in Raleigh, this is genuinely impressive range.
By the Glass
Eighteen by-the-glass options is a serious number for any restaurant, let alone a cocktail lounge. The selection spans sparkling, white, rosé, and red with enough variety that you won't be stuck choosing between Chardonnay and Cab. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority here — this reads more like a standing list than something that changes seasonally — but the breadth makes up for the lack of movement.
Grüner Veltliner Zum Martin 'SEPP', Lower Austria, 2022 — null
A Grüner from a proper Austrian producer in a cocktail bar is already a win. Crisp, peppery, and food-friendly — or in this case, cocktail-friendly. This is the kind of bottle that costs a fraction of the Duckhorn Chard and delivers more personality. If the pour price is reasonable, this is the easy call at the white wine end of the menu.
Domaine Du Theron Malbec, Cahors Cuvée Prestige
Everyone orders Argentine Malbec on autopilot. This Cahors comes from the actual birthplace of Malbec, where it's called CĂ´t and it's darker, earthier, and more structured than anything coming out of Mendoza. Most people at a cocktail bar will walk right past it. Don't.
Rombauer Vineyards Chardonnay, Napa Valley
Rombauer is a perfectly fine bottle — buttery, reliable, crowd-pleasing — but it's also one of the most marked-up labels in the American restaurant industry. You're almost certainly paying a premium here for a wine you could find at any steakhouse in the country. With a Duckhorn Chard and a Crossbarn already on the list, there's no reason to go here.
Bouvet Brut Rosé, Loire Valley, France + French 75
Yes, pairing a wine with a cocktail is a bit unorthodox — but at C. Grace, the French 75 is the signature drink, and if you're doing a half-and-half kind of evening, opening with a glass of the Bouvet Brut Rosé sets the same elegant, effervescent tone before you shift into gin-and-Champagne territory. Both are Loire-adjacent in spirit and they're the most cohesive one-two punch on the menu.
🎲 The Bottom Line
C. Grace is a cocktail bar first, but whoever built this wine list wasn't phoning it in — the Cahors Malbec and Austrian Grüner alone prove that. Markup is the catch, as it usually is in atmosphere-heavy venues, but if you're here for the jazz and the ambiance, a glass of something genuinely interesting is absolutely on the table.
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