CLE Urban Winery
Cleveland's Own Juice, Zero Markup, All Heart
Cedar-Lee Β· Cleveland Β· Wine bar with snacks (BYOF) Β· Visit Website β
Reviewed March 22, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at CLE Urban Winery isn't a list so much as a declaration of local identity β every bottle made in-house from West Coast juice, finished right here in Cleveland Heights. It's a tasting room vibe in the best way: unhurried, unpretentious, and priced like they actually want you to drink. You walk in expecting novelty and leave genuinely surprised by how seriously they take the craft.
Selection Deep Dive
The portfolio is tight β maybe a dozen bottles β but it's built with intention. Reds like the C-Town Cabernet Sauvignon and North Coast Syrah anchor the lineup with West Coast sourced juice that gets CLE's own treatment, while the Cedar-Lee Chardonnay is a nod to the neighborhood itself. They're clearly not chasing breadth; they're chasing a story, and the story is Cleveland. The gap here is no imported or old-world options whatsoever, so if you're craving a Burgundy or a Rioja, this isn't your stop β but that's kind of the whole point.
By the Glass
We don't have a confirmed glass pour count from the research data, but the bottle pricing in the $25β$35 range suggests pours should stay reasonable if they're offering them. The wine slushie is apparently a crowd favorite β make of that what you will β but the Rust Belt RosΓ© as a glass pour sounds like exactly the right Friday afternoon move.
Rust Belt RosΓ© β $25
At $25 a bottle with zero markup over retail, this is as close to cost as you'll find anywhere. It's an honest, approachable rosΓ© made right here in Cleveland, and the price makes it stupid easy to say yes to a second bottle.
North Coast Syrah
Everyone grabs the Cab or the RosΓ©, but the North Coast Syrah is the one that quietly earns your respect. Syrah from West Coast juice with a local winemaker's hand on it is an interesting proposition β skip it and you're leaving the most interesting wine on the table.
Hometown Heroes Peach Chardonnay
Peach-flavored Chardonnay is a crowd-pleaser that leans hard into novelty territory. If you want to taste what CLE Urban Winery can actually do, the Cedar-Lee Chardonnay is the better benchmark. Save the Peach for someone who orders off the dessert menu first.
Cedar-Lee Chardonnay + A charcuterie board you brought yourself
This is a BYOF spot, so pack a good charcuterie spread β cured meats, aged cheese, something briny β and let the Cedar-Lee Chardonnay do the heavy lifting. The wine's named after the neighborhood you're sitting in, you're eating food you curated yourself, and the markup is essentially zero. That's a pretty great Tuesday.
π² The Bottom Line
CLE Urban Winery isn't trying to compete with your city's top wine bar β it's doing something more specific and more interesting. If you want to drink locally-made wine at retail prices in a room full of people who feel like regulars, this is your spot.
Comments
Get the Weekly Wingman
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.