Springfield's Most Unexpected Wine Bar, Full Stop
· Springfield · Wine bar / Bottle shop · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 30, 2026
RagingWine reviewed It's All About Wine’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
A wine bar in Springfield, Illinois with 31 by-the-glass options and a Dornfelder from Germany sitting next to a Coffele Soave is not what we expected to find. The list reads like someone genuinely curious about wine built it — not a distributor rep filling slots. That alone earns serious attention.
This list punches well above its zip code. White wines dominate and do so smartly: you've got Austrian Grüner from Salomon Undhof, a Chenin Blanc from L'Ecole, Viognier from Miner, and a Gewurztraminer from Gundlach Bundschu — that's four different varietals most wine bars wouldn't bother with. The red side is leaner but still interesting, pulling in a Vigneti Repetto Barbera, Poggerino Chianti Classico, and an Elio Perrone Bigaro (a Brachetto-Moscato blend that most people couldn't identify in a lineup). The inclusion of a fruit wine pick and a semi-dry Finger Lakes Riesling from Dr. Konstantin Frank signals they're not afraid to cater to the full spectrum of drinkers without dumbing the list down.
Every single wine on the list is available by the glass — all 31 of them — which is the whole point of this place and makes it genuinely useful for exploration. Prices run $8 to $16, with most of the interesting stuff landing in the $12 range. That's a fair ask for wines you'd struggle to find elsewhere in central Illinois.
Salomon Undhof Grüner Veltliner — $12/glass
Salomon Undhof is a respected Wachau producer, and Grüner at this price by the glass is genuinely hard to find. This is a $20+ bottle-shop wine being poured fairly — order it twice.
Elio Perrone Bigaro
Most people will walk right past this. Bigaro is a lightly sparkling blend of Brachetto and Moscato from Piedmont — low alcohol, slightly sweet, impossibly fun. It's the kind of wine you'd discover in Italy and spend a decade trying to find again. It's $12 a glass here.
The Pour Fruit Wine Pick
At $8 it's the cheapest pour on the list, but unless you already know you love fruit wine, this is the one spot where the list nods toward novelty over quality. Use that $8 toward a second glass of the Grüner.
Poggerino Chianti Classico + Charcuterie board
Poggerino is one of the better names in Chianti Classico, and Sangiovese's natural acidity and cherry-earth character cuts right through cured meat and hard cheese. It's the move if they're running a meat-and-cheese spread.
The Bottom Line
It's All About Wine is the kind of place that makes you wonder why every mid-sized city doesn't have one — a focused, curious, fairly priced wine bar that treats its customers like adults. If you're passing through Springfield, this is worth a detour.
Springfield · Springfield · Casual steakhouse with Australian-themed American cuisine
Outback Springfield isn't where you go to geek out on wine, and it doesn't pretend to be — the list is honest, the prices are reasonable for a chain sit-down, and the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling alone is worth knowing about. If you're here for a steak and you want something decent in your glass, you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Dirksen Parkway / Sunrise Drive · Springfield · American Chain
We wouldn't send anyone to Applebee's specifically for the wine, and we won't start now. If you're here, you're here for the food, the vibe, or the company — and that's perfectly fine. Just know that the wine list is purely incidental.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Springfield · Springfield · American Chain
The markup is shockingly fair, but you're paying near-retail for wines you could grab at Walgreens on the way home. Order a cocktail, order a beer, and save the wine night for literally anywhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Springfield · Steakhouse
LongHorn Springfield isn't a wine destination — but with markups this low and pours this affordable, it's one of the better casual chain options in Illinois for a simple red with a big steak. Send a friend here for dinner; just don't tell them to geek out over the list.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Springfield · Italian Chain
Olive Garden Springfield isn't a wine destination, but it's not a wine disaster either — fair markups, a couple of genuinely decent pours, and prices that won't sting. Order the Chianti Classico, enjoy your breadsticks, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Springfield · American Steakhouse, Casual Dining
Texas Roadhouse is not a wine destination — it's a steak and ribs destination with a wine list that exists because it has to. Order a beer or a cocktail and save the wine drinking for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
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
