Element 112
Toledo's Old World sleeper with one killer Wednesday
Sylvania / West Toledo Border · Toledo · Modern French / New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 26, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You don't expect to flip open a wine list in Sylvania, Ohio and land on Picpoul de Pinet, Arneis, and Greek bottles before you've even found the Cabernet. Element 112 is clearly not building this list for the crowd that just wants a glass of Malbec and calls it a night. Whoever is curating this thing is paying attention.
Selection Deep Dive
The list runs 50 to 80 bottles and earns its stripes by leaning hard into regions most Toledo restaurants wouldn't dare touch — Priorat from Spain, Tannat, Roussanne, Viognier, Austrian whites, and actual Greek wine. France gets proper representation including Languedoc via Picpoul de Pinet, and Piedmont shows up with Arneis, which is a minor miracle in northwest Ohio. The gaps are real though: the New World section skews toward the safe and predictable crowd-pleasers (Caymus, Jordan, Rombauer, Duckhorn) that feel like they were added to keep the suburbs comfortable, and the markups on those bottles are notably punishing. Think of the list as two lists stitched together — an adventurous Old World half and a conventional California half — and you know which side to order from.
By the Glass
Ten to sixteen pours by the glass is a respectable spread for a restaurant of this size and market. We'd love to know how often the glass selections rotate and whether the Old World gems make it onto the BTG menu, but the volume of options suggests there's something here beyond the basic four. If you're not committing to a bottle, ask what's open from the French or Spanish side before defaulting to whatever Chardonnay they're pushing.
Picpoul de Pinet — Unknown — check current menu
Picpoul is almost always fairly priced and Element 112's Languedoc sourcing puts it in the right context — crisp, coastal, food-driven, and almost certainly the best dollar-per-sip option on this list, especially if you're eating fish or light seasonal small plates.
Arneis (Piedmont, Italy)
Most people at this restaurant are going to walk right past an Italian white from Piedmont and order a Chardonnay that costs twice as much and tells them half as much. Arneis is floral, nutty, and genuinely interesting — and finding it in Sylvania, Ohio is the kind of thing you text your wine friends about.
Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2020
At $195 on the menu against a $90 retail price, this is a 116% markup on a wine that's already priced on brand recognition alone. Caymus is fine. It is not $195 fine. Order anything from the Old World side of the list and put the difference toward dessert.
Tannat + Seasonal Chef's Tasting Menu
Tannat is a grippy, structured red that needs something serious on the plate to calm it down. The chef's tasting menu at Element 112 is exactly the kind of multi-course, intentional eating that gives Tannat room to breathe and show off — rich preparations, varied textures, the works. This is the combination that makes the restaurant make sense.
Wednesday — Wine Wednesday — half off all bottles on the list every Wednesday. This is the move. The Old World selections that look steep mid-week become genuinely excellent value. Plan accordingly.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Element 112 has one of the most genuinely surprising wine lists in the Toledo area — Old World depth that punches well above its zip code — but the California markups are a tax on laziness you should refuse to pay. Come on a Wednesday, stick to the European side of the list, and you'll leave very happy.
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