French-Leaning Gems Inside a Concert Hall
Arts District · Newark · Tasting-menu / New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · October 5, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Chef's Table at Nico (NJPAC)’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You're inside a performing arts center in Newark, and the wine list is actually good — that's the surprise. Thirty-one labels isn't a lot, but the curation leans hard into France, and the pricing doesn't make you feel like a captive audience being fleeced at intermission. This is a list someone thought about.
The list runs a clear French spine — Chablis from both Gueguen and Pattes Loup, a Marsannay Burgundy, Vouvray, Apremont Jacquere, Lieu Dit Melon de Bourgogne, Trimbach Riesling — it's the kind of white wine section that signals the buyer has taste. Reds branch out with a Bulliat Morgon Gamay, a Château Yvonne Cab Franc from the Loire, and a Château St. Damien Gigondas that rounds out the Rhône angle. The California and South American entries (Dead Canyon Ranch Cab, Terrazas Malbec) feel like table-setters for guests who need a comfort pick. At 31 bottles, there are gaps — no sparkling beyond what's listed, thin on skin-contact or orange options — but the hits outnumber the misses.
Eighteen by-the-glass options on a 31-bottle list is a generous ratio, and they keep the pour program anchored to the same thoughtful selections rather than offloading the boring bottles by the glass. The $11 La Vigne des Sablons Vouvray and $15 Apremont Jacquere are standout pours that you'd struggle to find this accessible at most Newark dining rooms. Top of the range caps at $25/glass, which is fair given the setting.
The Bottom Line
For a concert hall dining room in Newark, this wine list has no business being this French, this specific, or this fairly priced — and yet here we are. The by-the-glass selection alone is worth flagging for anyone catching a show at NJPAC. Go in, order the Vouvray or the Morgon, and be pleasantly surprised.
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Newark · Newark · Spanish
Spanish Tavern is a Newark institution worth visiting for the atmosphere and the paella, but the wine program doesn't quite match the room's ambitions. Drink something Spanish, keep it simple, and let the food carry the night.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Consigliere is one of Newark's most interesting wine rooms precisely because it's not trying to be a conventional wine bar — the African diaspora focus and soundtrack-first atmosphere make it a genuine Wild Card worth the trip. If you can handle some ambiguity on the list and lean into the experience, it punches well above its weight.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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