Wednesday Saves It, Nothing Else Does
Lansdowne / Tates Creek · Lexington · American Gastropub · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 4, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Drake's – Lansdowne’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Drake's Lansdowne reads like someone grabbed whatever was on sale at the grocery store and called it a program. You've got TVs blasting, a crowd here for sushi rolls and burgers, and a wine list that mostly just gets out of the way. That's probably fine — but if you're here hoping for a thoughtful glass of something interesting, you're in the wrong place.
The list is 20-odd bottles deep and leans hard on grocery store staples — 14 Hands, Cupcake, Barefoot, Yellow Tail, Dark Horse. These are brands built for supermarket endcaps, not restaurant wine lists. There's no regional identity, no indie producers, no attempt to surprise anyone. California and Washington value-tier bottles dominate, with a few generic international labels rounding things out. The good news: you know exactly what you're getting. The bad news: what you're getting isn't very exciting.
Around 8-12 pours are available by the glass in the $7-$11 range, which is at least honest for what the list is. The selection mirrors the bottle list — familiar brands, easy-drinking styles, nothing that'll make you pause. Rotation appears minimal; this is a set-it-and-forget-it program.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay — $11/glass
KJ Chardonnay is the least offensive option here — it's a known quantity, widely liked, and at $11 a glass you're not getting burned too badly. It's the closest thing to a safe harbor on a list that's otherwise treading water.
Yellow Tail Shiraz
Nobody orders this on purpose, but if you're eating a spicy tuna roll or loaded nachos, a cold pour of Yellow Tail Shiraz actually does the job. It's fruity, low-fuss, and at these prices, you're not taking a big swing. Sometimes the floor is the move.
Barefoot Moscato
A $24 bottle of Barefoot Moscato — a wine that retails for $8 — is a 200% markup on something you'd feel embarrassed buying at a gas station. Hard pass. Order a cocktail or grab a beer.
14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon + Burger
14 Hands Cab is ripe, a little jammy, and just bold enough to stand up to a juicy Drake's burger. It's not a sophisticated pairing — it's a functional one, which is exactly the energy of this room.
Wednesday — Drake's participates in Bluegrass Hospitality Group's mid-week wine special — half-price bottles on Wednesdays, with some brand and price exceptions. Best night to engage with the list.
The Bottom Line
Drake's isn't a wine destination and doesn't pretend to be. The list is overpriced grocery store staples, and the only reason to engage with it at all is Wednesday's half-price bottle deal — that's when a $30 bottle of 14 Hands starts to make sense. Otherwise, order a cocktail and enjoy the chaos.
South Lexington / Harrodsburg Road · Lexington · Italian, Contemporary Italian, Seafood
Giuseppe's isn't a wine destination, but Monday night half-price bottles make it one of the better value plays in Lexington — show up then, lean on the seafood, and you'll leave happy. Any other night, the markups ask a lot and the list doesn't ask you to think very hard.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Lansdowne / Nicholasville Road · Lexington · Italian-American
Sutton's isn't a wine destination, but it's a perfectly reasonable place to drink a bottle of Chianti while someone else handles the cooking. The Tignanello alone earns this list a second look if you know to ask for it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Gratz Park · Lexington · New American / Southern
Jonathan at Gratz Park is the kind of reliable wine room you'd expect from a historic inn with a real sommelier — competent, well-stocked, and leaning safe. Pricing is on the steeper side and the list won't surprise you, but in Lexington, this is still one of the better places to order a full bottle with dinner.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Palomar / Harrodsburg Road · Lexington · Italian, Seasonal American-Influenced
Bella Notte isn't a wine destination, but it's a reliable neighborhood spot with one genuinely smart move: Thursday half-price bottles turn a steep list into a real value play. Go on a Thursday, order the Decoy Cab with a wood-grilled steak, and you'll leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown · Lexington · Italian
ItalX is a dependable Italian wine list for a night out downtown — not exciting, but not embarrassing either. Send a friend here knowing they'll drink well enough, as long as they steer toward the Italian reds and away from the obvious tourist traps.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Summit at Fritz Farm · Lexington · New American / Southern
33 Staves is a perfectly competent hotel wine list in a city where nobody's really coming for the wine. Drink it for what it is, keep your expectations calibrated, and save the serious bottle hunting for somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Round Rock · American Gastropub
Cover 3 Round Rock is a solid gastropub doing a lot of things right — just not wine. The list is undocumented, almost certainly underdeveloped, and not the reason anyone is walking through the door. Order a local craft beer or a cocktail, enjoy the Chicken Fried Chicken, and save your wine curiosity for a restaurant that earned it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Old Town · Scottsdale · American Gastropub
A long wine list that mixes Arizona and California bottles with Italian, French and Spanish wines, posted as pairs like 14 / 44 and single prices like 86. Start with the 13 / 48 Les Hauts Plateaux Rosé, or the 101 Scythians Red if you want the one Cucamonga Valley wine, and ask what each number in a pair covers. The restaurant's menus page and its linked PDF differ on some wines, so confirm before you go. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
The Loop · Chicago · American Gastropub
A glass list that tags every pour by style, with 18 wines from $15 to $25 and a 128-line bottle list from $50 to $550. Start with The Gage Brut at $15 or the Troupis 'Ekato' orange Moschofilero at $16, and confirm prices because the menu is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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