Ambitious Indy list that plays it honest
Downtown · Indianapolis · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 22, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Cerulean, the wine list signals that someone here actually gives a damn. It's not trying to show off — it's trying to get you into something good without emptying your wallet, which in downtown Indianapolis is rarer than it should be. The Old World lean is evident right away, and that alone earns some goodwill.
The list runs 80-plus selections with genuine range across France, Italy, Germany, and the American West Coast — no single region hogging the spotlight. You'll find Pascal Jolivet's Loire Sauvignon Blanc sitting comfortably next to C.H. Berres Riesling from the Mosel and Domaine Anderson Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley, which is a solid cross-section for a tasting menu-focused restaurant. There are gaps — South America and Spain are thin or absent based on what's visible — but what's here is curated with intention. A sommelier on staff shows, and the list doesn't feel like it was assembled by a distributor rep on autopilot.
The by-the-glass program is where Cerulean really earns its stripes. With an estimated 12-20 pours, there's enough range to build a proper glass-by-glass progression through a tasting menu without repeating yourself. The pricing on pours — $9 to $14 across the board — is genuinely fair for the quality of producers represented, and that's not a sentence we get to write very often.
Pascal Jolivet Sauvignon Blanc — $9
Nine dollars for Pascal Jolivet's Sancerre-adjacent Sauvignon Blanc is a legitimate steal. This is a producer who commands real respect in the Loire and the glass price makes it almost unreasonable not to order it.
C.H. Berres Riesling
Most tables in Indianapolis are going to walk right past a Mosel Riesling and order the Pinot Grigio. Don't be those people. C.H. Berres is a respected Mosel estate and at $11 a glass, this is the kind of wine that quietly makes your whole dinner better.
Domaine Anderson Pinot Noir
At $28 a glass it's the priciest pour on the list and while Domaine Anderson is solid Anderson Valley fruit, you're paying a meaningful premium for the prestige factor. The Four Graces Pinot Noir at $10 a glass scratches a very similar itch for a fraction of the price.
Andrea Faccio Villa Giada Barbera d'Asti + Seasonal small plates
Barbera's natural high acidity and low tannin make it a workhorse pairing through multiple courses of the chef's seasonal small plates — it doesn't fight the food, it just keeps things moving. At $12 a glass it's also one of the best-priced Italian pours you'll find in this city.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Cerulean is exactly what a serious restaurant in a mid-sized American city should be doing with wine — real producers, fair pours, a sommelier who actually knows the list. Send your friends here, especially if they're doing the tasting menu.
Downtown Indianapolis · Indianapolis · American Steakhouse
Prime 47 is a dependable, California-forward steakhouse list that earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence — not because it takes risks, but because it executes the classics reliably and keeps the Cabs flowing. Send a friend here if they want a good bottle with a great steak; just don't send them expecting to discover anything new.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Indianapolis · Indianapolis · French, Japanese
Vida is the kind of wine program that makes you wish more mid-sized American cities had a Jared May running their lists — deep Burgundy, serious California, and a dining concept that actually justifies both. Yes, you'll pay for it, but this is a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence winner for real reasons.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Indianapolis · Indianapolis · American Steakhouse
St. Elmo is the rare steakhouse that earns its Best of Award of Excellence without feeling like it's trying to impress anyone — the list is deep, the wines are real, and Monday half-price night is genuinely one of the best deals in Indianapolis. The markups can sting, but the bones of this program are excellent.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Herron-Morton Place · Indianapolis · Fine-Casual American
Tinker Street is the wine list that Indianapolis shouldn't have yet somehow does — globally curious, genuinely deep in spots, and anchored by a few pours that would feel at home at a serious wine bar in any major city. The markups on entry-level bottles keep it from being a full Rager, but the ambition earns a trip.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Mass Ave · Indianapolis · Southern, American, Brew Pub
The Eagle is a genuinely great place to eat fried chicken — the wine list, however, is an afterthought dressed up in a menu. Drink the beer, order the bubbles if you must, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that reciprocates.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Indianapolis · Indianapolis · American Tavern
Pippin's Tavern is the rare Indianapolis neighborhood spot where the wine list actually makes you stop and look twice. It's not deep, it won't impress a collector, but it's curated with a point of view — and that counts for a lot in a tavern setting.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Columbia · Columbia · New American
Sycamore is doing something genuinely unusual in Columbia: running a tight, thoughtful wine list with real producers and fair prices, backed by someone on staff who knows what they're talking about. Come on a Wednesday and it's a no-brainer.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Acceptable
Elizabeth Park area · Hartford · New American
Pond House Cafe is a lovely spot where the wine list exists to support the experience, not define it — and that's fine, as long as you keep your expectations calibrated. Come for the setting, order the Campofiorin or the Santa Marina, and let the park do the rest of the work.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Upscale McAllen · McAllen · New American
Ambra is a nice room with a lazy wine list — one that coasts on brand familiarity and banks on diners not noticing the markup. Order a cocktail, or bring a bottle if corkage is an option.
Crowd Pleasers
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.