Solid Western pours in a sleek downtown room
North Columbus / Whittlesey Boulevard · Columbus · Modern American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 28, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Ivory & Oak’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The list reads like someone built it around what sells in a nice airport lounge — Duckhorn, Sonoma-Cutrer, La Crema — all names your parents recognize and your date won't argue with. It's polished, approachable, and completely predictable. Not a problem if you know what you're getting into.
California dominates here, with some Pacific Northwest representation and a nod toward Burgundy that feels more decorative than committed. The producers are bankable crowd favorites — Duckhorn Merlot and La Crema Pinot Noir show up like reliable regulars, and Sonoma-Cutrer anchors the Chardonnay side without much competition. What's missing is anything left of center: no natural wine, no skin-contact experiment, no small-production discovery hiding on page two. The list does its job, but it won't surprise you.
Twelve to twenty options by the glass is a respectable spread for Columbus, and the program seems purpose-built for a bar-forward room where guests linger over cocktails and want a decent pour without committing to a bottle. Rotation appears minimal — this feels like a static list that gets refreshed seasonally at best, not a by-the-glass program that's actively curated.
La Crema Pinot Noir — Unknown
La Crema is widely distributed and retails around $20-$22 — if Ivory & Oak is pricing bottles in a reasonable range for this tier, it's the list's most drinkable option and the one most likely to actually match the food. Note: exact pricing was not available in our research, so confirm at the table.
Duckhorn Merlot
Merlot gets ignored at most tables because the word still carries Sideways baggage, but Duckhorn's version is genuinely good — structured, fruit-forward, and built for exactly the kind of steak-forward menu Ivory & Oak runs. Most guests are ordering Pinot or Cab by reflex. Don't be most guests.
Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay
A perfectly fine wine at the grocery store for $22. At an upscale restaurant with steep markup, you're likely paying $14-$18 a glass for something you could grab at Costco on the way home. If Chardonnay is your move, push the staff to see if there's anything more interesting hiding on the list.
Duckhorn Merlot + Butcher's Cut Steak
Duckhorn Merlot has enough structure and dark fruit to hold up against a properly seasoned piece of beef without the tannin aggression of a big Cab. It's the kind of pairing that just works without requiring any explanation.
The Bottom Line
Ivory & Oak is a reliable wine stop in a city that isn't exactly crawling with serious lists — the room is great, the pours are familiar, and the markup is the main thing holding it back from something better. Go for the steak, order the Merlot, and don't expect to be challenged.
Midtown Columbus · Columbus · Seafood
Red Lobster 13th St. is not a wine destination — it's a seafood chain where wine exists because a menu has to have one. Order the Riesling with your lobster tail, enjoy the Cheddar Bay Biscuits, and make your peace with it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Riverwalk / Downtown Columbus · Columbus · American
Denim & Oak isn't going to make anyone's wine pilgrimage list, but for Columbus, Georgia, it's a legitimately decent place to drink — fair prices, a deep BTG program, and Wine Down Wednesday as a reason to come back. Just steer clear of the Concha y Toro and head straight for the Orin Swift or the Oregon section.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
North Columbus · Columbus · American Barbecue and Grill
Smokey Bones is a perfectly fine place to eat ribs and watch a game — just don't come here for the wine. Order a cold beer, save your wine budget for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Airport / East Columbus · Columbus · Hotel Restaurant
If you're stuck at the DoubleTree and the flight is delayed, Houlihan's will keep you fed and adequately watered — but don't mistake that for a wine program worth seeking out. Order the Etude Pinot or the Malbec, skip the sangria, and manage your expectations accordingly.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Airport / East Columbus · Columbus · American Bar & Grill
This is airport-adjacent chain wine, full stop — familiar labels at inflated prices for a captive audience that mostly wants something cold and wet after traveling. Order a cocktail instead, or hit the hotel bar and call it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Uptown · Columbus · Pub
The Rail Pub is not here to advance your wine education, and that's fine — it's a pub, it sells beer, and the wine list exists as an afterthought for the table that didn't want beer. Order the J. Lohr if you need a glass of something real; otherwise, get a pint and stop looking at the wine menu.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Healdsburg · Sonoma · Modern American
Valette is the wine country restaurant experience done right — deeply local, properly staffed, and serious about what's in the glass, even if the markups ask you to pay for the zip code. Send your friends here if they're already in Healdsburg; just tell them to skip the Phelps.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Annapolis Towne Centre · Annapolis · Modern American
Cooper's Hawk Annapolis is exactly what it is — a well-run, corporate winery restaurant where the wine list exists entirely in-house and the experience is built for people who want wine to be easy, not educational. Send your parents here without hesitation; send your wine-obsessed friend somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / Penn Square · Lancaster · Modern American
Plough isn't a destination wine list, but it's a fair and functional one — honest pricing, decent glass selection, and just enough global range to keep things interesting. If you're in Lancaster for the food and the vibe, the wine program won't let you down; just don't come expecting to be surprised.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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