Skip the wine, order the mint tea
Asheville · Asheville · Middle Eastern · Visit Website ↗
Updated March 2026
Reviewed February 21, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Jerusalem Garden Cafe feels like an afterthought stapled to a menu that clearly doesn't need it. You're looking at a laminated sheet with maybe five bottles—basic grocery store labels that have probably been sitting in the back since 2019. This is a restaurant that knows its strength is hummus and falafel, not fermented grapes.
The selection reads like someone walked into a Harris Teeter and grabbed whatever had a Mediterranean-ish label. We're talking a Golan Heights Winery Cabernet, a random Chianti, maybe a Greek Assyrtiko if you're lucky, and a couple of sweet Manischewitz options for traditional diners. No depth, no regional storytelling, no connection to the Levantine food on the plate. The list lacks any Lebanese, Israeli natural wine movement, or even interesting kosher producers that could tie into the cuisine. It's purely perfunctory—wine exists because restaurants are supposed to have wine.
By-the-glass pours appear limited to two options at best: one red, one white, both served in whatever stemware happens to be clean. Pour sizes feel arbitrary, pricing feels random, and there's zero rotation or seasonality. The glasses themselves are likely generic tumblers or chunky all-purpose stems that wouldn't know a varietal if it splashed them in the face.
Golan Heights Winery Cabernet Sauvignon — $32
Not because it's good value—it's not—but because it's probably the only drinkable red on a very short list
Domaine Wardy Blanc de Blancs (if they have it)
Lebanese sparkler that would actually complement the food—but we've never seen it here
Manischewitz Concord Grape
Unless you're conducting a Passover Seder, this sweet tooth syrup has no business at $24
Hypothetical Greek Assyrtiko + Baba Ganoush
The wine's salinity and citrus would cut through the smoky eggplant—if they actually carried a decent one
❌ The Bottom Line
Jerusalem Garden Cafe does Middle Eastern food well, but the wine program is non-existent. Stick to the Turkish coffee or mint tea and save your wine budget for literally anywhere else in Asheville.
Downtown Asheville · Asheville · Farm to Table
The Blackbird is doing wine right in a town that's more known for craft beer — there's a real sommelier (Sarah Reder) behind this list and it shows. Send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Asheville · Asheville · American
Vue 1913 is a reliable wine destination for guests who know what they like and want to drink it with a jaw-dropping view — just don't expect the list to push you anywhere new. Send your California Cab-loving friends here without hesitation; send your natural wine friends somewhere else.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Grove Park · Asheville · Regional
Sunset Terrace isn't a wine destination — it's a destination where wine happens to be available and handled competently. Come for the mountains and the steak, order the Ridge or the Sonoma-Cutrer, and enjoy the fact that at least nobody's pouring you something terrible.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
West Asheville · Asheville · American, Farm to Table
Jargon is doing something real with wine in a neighborhood that doesn't demand it, and that's exactly why it deserves your attention. Send a friend here — just tell them to skip the Napa Cab and ask about the Minervois.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Asheville · Asheville · American
The Dining Room is genuinely worth the trip, and not just because of the mansion backdrop — the sommelier team is real, the cellar is serious, and Wednesday half-price wine night turns a splurge into a steal. Markups on the prestige bottles are steep, but the overall program earns its Best of Award of Excellence.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Downtown · Asheville · Southern
Husk isn't trying to be a wine destination, and that's fine—it's a solid supporting cast to excellent Southern cooking. The list is fair, approachable, and won't leave you feeling gouged or bored.
Solid Range
Fair
Stemless Casual
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
9th & 9th · Salt Lake City · Middle Eastern
Mazza isn't a wine destination, but it's doing something genuinely interesting by building a list around Lebanese producers that actually belong on the table with this food. If you're in Salt Lake City and want to drink something you won't find anywhere else in town, this is worth a detour.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Coconut Grove · Miami · Middle Eastern
Amal is doing something genuinely rare in Miami: building a wine program around a region most restaurants wouldn't even attempt. If you care about Lebanese wine at all — or want to discover why you should — this list is worth your attention.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Capitol Hill · Seattle · Middle Eastern
Mamnoon was doing something genuinely rare in Seattle: matching a Levantine kitchen with wines that actually came from the same part of the world. If you had the chance to eat here, the wine list was half the reason to go.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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