Solid pours, steady hand, no surprises
Bethlehem Township · Bethlehem · Japanese · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Kome Fine Japanese Cuisine’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Kome lands with quiet confidence — 28 labels, neatly organized, leaning into familiar names that won't scare anyone off. It's clearly curated with the guest experience in mind, even if it plays closer to the mainstream than to the adventurous. For an upscale Japanese spot in the Lehigh Valley, this is more than most are doing.
The list covers expected ground — Burgundy Chardonnay, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Cab — but a few picks genuinely surprise. The Maple Springs Grüner Veltliner from Bechtelsville, PA is a local shoutout that earns its place, and the Fonzone Taurasi DOCG Riserva Aglianico 2012 is a serious Italian red that has zero business being on a suburban sushi menu (we mean that as a compliment). The Clos de la Tech Pinot Noir from Santa Cruz rounds out a red section that punches above its weight. Gaps exist in natural wine and anything from the Iberian Peninsula, but the bones are good.
The by-the-glass count listed is almost certainly a data quirk — 89 options on a 28-bottle list doesn't add up, and the $14 glass price appears attached only to a sangria cocktail. We're treating this as a standard restaurant BTG program with selective pours available; don't expect a deep rotating glass list here. Until Kome publishes a clear BTG menu, the bottle is your safest play.
Maple Springs Grüner Veltliner, Bechtelsville, PA '21 — N/A — bottle price not published
A Pennsylvania Grüner supporting a local producer and actually making sense with Japanese cuisine? The acidity and white pepper notes cut through fish beautifully, and you're getting something nobody else at the table ordered. That alone is worth it.
Fonzone Taurasi DOCG Riserva Aglianico, Italy '12
A 2012 Taurasi Riserva on a Japanese restaurant wine list is genuinely weird and genuinely great. Aglianico at this age shows iron, dried cherry, and serious structure — skip the Cakebread and grab this instead. Most tables will walk right past it.
Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA '19
At $125 a bottle, you're paying a hefty premium for a name that's been on every corporate expense account dinner list for two decades. Cakebread is fine — it's just not $125 fine when the Taurasi Riserva is sitting right there.
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, N.Z. '22 + Nigiri omakase
Cloudy Bay's grapefruit and fresh herb brightness is a textbook match for clean, delicate fish. It's a known quantity for a reason — the acidity keeps things lively across a multi-piece nigiri spread without overwhelming any single bite.
The Bottom Line
Kome isn't building a destination wine program, but they're doing enough right to drink well here — especially if you dig past the familiar labels. The markups ask you to pay for the ambiance, but the Taurasi and the local Grüner are genuine finds worth the trip.
Historic Downtown · Bethlehem · Brewpub / American
Fegley's Bethlehem Brew Works is a genuinely great brewpub doing a lot of things right — wine just isn't one of them. Come for the craft beer, skip the wine list, and nobody gets hurt.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Bethlehem · Bethlehem · Gastropub
The Goosemen is a perfectly decent place to eat a burger and drink a beer — but the wine list is a cash grab dressed up as a menu. The Wednesday half-price bottle promotion is the only reason to think about wine here at all; on any other night, order something from the tap.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Bethlehem Township · Bethlehem · Sports Bar / American
Copperhead Grille is a perfectly fine sports bar where you should order a beer. If it has to be wine, show up on a Monday when the by-the-glass options are half price — that's the only math here that makes sense.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown Bethlehem · Bethlehem · Italian
Tre Scalini isn't trying to be a wine destination, but the Italian-focused list is coherent, fairly priced, and punches above its Bethlehem zip code. If you're eating pasta this good, you owe it to the meal to drink something Italian alongside it.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Historic Downtown · Bethlehem · American, Contemporary, Mediterranean-influenced
Apollo Grill won't earn a wine destination reputation, but for downtown Bethlehem, it's doing the job honestly — fair prices, more glass options than you'd expect, and a few genuinely good bottles hiding in plain sight. Send a friend here without hesitation; just steer them past the Meiomi.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Bethlehem · Bethlehem · American, Southern, Cajun & Creole
The Bayou is a genuinely fun Southern bar and kitchen — just don't come here for the wine. Order a cocktail, eat the fried chicken, and leave the wine nights for somewhere that actually wants to host them.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Ashland · Japanese
Little Tokyo is a solid casual Japanese spot that simply doesn't do wine — and that's fine, because their sake is where the real action is. Come for the sushi, drink the sake, and don't stress about the wine list.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mid-island · Hilton Head Island · Japanese
Hinoki isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — it's a solid neighborhood Japanese spot with a list that covers the bases, keeps prices in check, and won't embarrass you in front of a date. Order the Oyster Bay, get the omakase, and call it a win.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Appleton · Appleton · Japanese
Katsu-Ya is a perfectly solid Japanese restaurant where the wine list exists as an obligation, not a feature. Come for the katsu and ramen, order sake or a Sapporo, and if you must have wine, grab the Koshu and move on.
Grocery Store
Steep
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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