Bentonville's Best-Kept White Wine Secret
· Bentonville · New American / Seasonal · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Conifer’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
Sixteen bottles. That's it. In most restaurants, a list this short is a red flag — here, it reads more like a deliberate edit. Every single wine earns its spot, and the whole thing skews white, sparkling, and rosé in a way that feels intentional rather than accidental.
Conifer has made a bet: skip the obligatory Cabernet parade and build a list around bright, food-friendly whites. You get Haart Riesling from the Mosel, Terre Dei Miti Etna Bianco from Sicily, a Nascetta from Langhe that most people in Arkansas have never heard of, and a Chassagne-Montrachet sitting at the top of the range for when someone wants to splurge seriously. The sparkling section punches above its weight with Billecart-Salmon, Schramsberg, and Contratto's Alta Langa Brut all accounted for. There's essentially no red wine on this list, which is either a bold curatorial stance or a hard pivot based on what the kitchen is doing — either way, it commits.
By-the-glass options aren't confirmed on the sourced data, so we can't tell you what's pouring by the stem tonight. Given the tight 16-bottle list, expect a modest selection if they're running pours at all — worth asking your server directly before committing to a bottle.
Ellena Giuseppe Nascetta, Langhe — $50
Nascetta is a nearly extinct Piedmontese grape that's quietly having a moment, and at $50 this is the kind of discovery wine that makes a list memorable. Aromatic, textured, and genuinely different — this is exactly where your money should go.
Mary Taylor Jacquère, Chignin
Jacquère from Savoie is one of the most underrated mountain whites in France — crisp, mineral, almost Alpine in its freshness. Mary Taylor's négociant work sources carefully and keeps things honest. Most tables will walk right past this at $75 and go for the Sancerre. Don't be most tables.
Lioco Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Redwood Valley
Lioco is a solid producer, no argument there, but $120 for a California Sauvignon Blanc when Le Garenne Sancerre is sitting right there at $105 is a tough ask. The Sancerre gives you more complexity and a better story for fifteen dollars less.
The Vice 'Pickleball' Orange of Viognier, Napa Valley + Seasonal roasted vegetable or grain dish
An orange Viognier has the skin-contact grip and aromatic weight to stand up to earthy, roasted vegetables without steamrolling them. At a farm-driven New American kitchen like Conifer, that's a genuinely useful wine — and 'Pickleball' is the kind of label that starts a conversation at the table.
The Bottom Line
Conifer is doing something genuinely unusual for Arkansas: a tightly curated, white-wine-forward list with real range and fair pricing. If you're used to restaurants treating wine as an afterthought, this one will catch you off guard in the best way.
· Bentonville · New American / Wine Bar
Bar Cleeta is the kind of wine bar that shouldn't exist in Bentonville, Arkansas — and yet here it is, pouring Silvaner and Catarratto by the glass at prices that don't insult you. Send your adventurous friends here without hesitation.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bentonville · New American
The Hive is doing more with a wine list than most restaurants in markets twice the size of Bentonville — fair prices, genuine range, and a Champagne section that earns respect. If you're in NW Arkansas and care about what's in your glass, this is your spot.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bentonville · Gastropub / New American
Tusk & Trotter isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's doing the honest work of keeping the glass full at fair prices with a by-the-glass program that almost any table can navigate. Send a friend here for dinner without worrying about the wine — just tell them to skip the Castellani.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Walnut / Retail corridor · Bentonville · Seafood and American
Bonefish Grill Rogers is not a wine destination, but it's not a disaster either — the list is safe, the glass pours are plentiful, and you won't feel cheated if you stick to the by-the-glass options. Send a friend here for the Bang Bang Shrimp; tell them to manage their wine expectations accordingly.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Rainbow Curve / I-49 Corridor · Bentonville · Italian
The Bertani Amarone and Col d'Orcia Brunello sitting on this list are like finding a Rolex in a vending machine — impressive that they exist, but the surrounding context makes the whole thing feel absurd. Come for the pasta, drink the Chianti Classico, and lower your expectations accordingly.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Northwest Bentonville · Bentonville · Steakhouse / BBQ
Fred's Hickory Inn is worth the trip for the smoke and the history — the wine list is not the reason you come. Order the barbecue, drink whatever's cold, and save the serious bottle for somewhere else.
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.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
