Tuesday Bottles Save This Short List
Downtown · Iowa City · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Hearth’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Ten bottles. That's it. The list at Hearth is lean in a way that almost feels intentional, like they made a decision and committed to it — except the picks don't quite have the curation to back that up. What you get is a globe-trotting greatest-hits sampler that reads more like a well-stocked hotel bar than a downtown dining room with a real wine identity.
The list pulls from France, Chile, South Africa, Australia, and California — four continents across ten labels, which sounds ambitious until you see the actual names. Cono Sur Pinot Noir and Six Hats Chardonnay are grocery-store-tier producers dressed up in restaurant pricing. The Elicio picks from France — a rosé and a Rhône blend — are the most interesting things on the list and arguably the only bottles that feel like someone made a real choice. No Italian, no Spanish, no sparkling beyond what might be buried in the fine print, and zero indication that this list has changed recently.
The full list is by the glass, which is either generous or a sign that nothing moves fast enough to justify bottle-only programs. At $9 to $16 a pour, you're paying mid-tier restaurant prices for entry-level producers. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority here — this reads like a set-and-forget program that gets reviewed once a year, maybe.
Elicio Rosé, France — $9/glass
At the bottom of the price ladder, this French rosé is the most regionally honest thing on the list and likely the most food-friendly pour in the room. Order a second one on principle.
Elicio Rhône Blend, France
Most people at a casual Iowa City spot are reaching for the Cab or the Pinot — the Rhône blend gets skipped entirely. That's a mistake. It's the most interesting red on a short list and it actually wants to be with food.
Rodney Strong Chardonnay, California
At $15 a glass or $55 a bottle, you're paying a significant premium for a wine that retails in the $12-15 range at any grocery store. There's nothing wrong with Rodney Strong, but there's nothing right about that markup either.
Elicio Rhône Blend, France + Pizza
A Southern Rhône-style blend — likely Grenache-forward with some rustic spice — cuts through cheese and plays well with anything coming out of a hot oven. It's the obvious call that most people at the table won't make.
Tuesday — Every Tuesday evening, all bottles of wine are half off. Applies to the full bottle list — not just by-the-glass. This is the move.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Hearth is a fine place to drink wine, not a destination to drink wine — the list is short, the markups are real, and the picks lean commercial. But that Tuesday half-price bottle deal changes the math entirely: come back midweek, grab the Rhône blend, and you're suddenly getting a great deal at a lively spot.
Downtown · Iowa City · Mexican / Tex-Mex
Order the margarita. Seriously. But if someone at the table insists on wine, the Barefoot pours are priced so close to retail that you're not getting hurt — just don't expect anything more than that.
Grocery Store
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Iowa City · Pizza / Italian-American
Pagliai's earns its legendary status in Iowa City as a pizza destination — the wine list, however, is an afterthought that nobody on staff or in the kitchen appears to think about much. Order a beer, order a soda, order another slice, and save the wine conversation for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Near Northside / Coralville border · Iowa City · Upscale American Steak and Chops
Iowa River Power is a perfectly respectable steakhouse wine list in a genuinely memorable room — but the list plays it too safe and prices too high to be anything more than serviceable. Send a friend here for the ambiance and the prime rib; tell them to pick carefully on the wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Northside · Iowa City · Diner / New American
Bluebird earns serious love for its food, but the wine list is pure filler — seven grocery-store bottles on a set-and-forget program. Order the biscuits and gravy, grab a coffee, and save the wine for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Iowa City · Pub
Micky's is a great Irish pub — for Guinness, whiskey, and a Reuben at midnight. The wine program is an afterthought dressed up as a menu section, and nobody on either side of the bar is pretending otherwise. Order the beer.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Iowa City · Contemporary American / Gastropub
One Twenty Six is an anomaly — a downtown Iowa City gastropub with a wine list that would hold its own in a Chicago neighborhood restaurant. The markups on trophy bottles get steep fast, but there's real depth here if you know where to look, and the French selections alone are worth the reservation.
Surprising Depth
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Scranton · New American
POSH isn't a destination wine list — it's a safe, slightly overpriced selection that leans on brand recognition over discovery. Come on a Wednesday, grab the Colombo rosé at half price, and you'll leave happy; show up any other night and you're paying full markup for wines you could find at the corner store.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
West Bethlehem · Bethlehem · New American
Bolete is the kind of place that sneaks up on you — a 35-bottle list inside a stone farmhouse in Bethlehem, PA shouldn't have this much personality, but here we are. Send your wine-curious friends here; they'll find something to talk about.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Black Hills · Rapid City · New American
Sage Creek Grille isn't trying to be a wine destination, and it doesn't need to be — it's doing its job for its market, with fair prices and a by-the-glass program that actually gives you options. If you're exploring the Black Hills and want a solid glass with your dinner, you won't leave disappointed.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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