Louie's Wine Dive

Walk into Louie's and the list hits you before the food menu does — that's the point. A 100-plus bottle program in a casual neighborhood spot on University Ave is not what Des Moines typically delivers, and the energy in here matches the ambition. It's a wine bar wearing a dive bar's hoodie, and we mean that as a compliment.

The list casts a wide net — domestic producers anchor things with solid U.S. representation across multiple regions, while Italy and Spain show up with enough specificity to keep things interesting. The Azimut Cava 'Brut Nature' from Penedès and Argyle's 'Vintage Brut' from Willamette Valley sitting side-by-side on a sparkling section is the kind of comparison shopping we appreciate. The chain-wide backbone means some selections feel committee-approved rather than passionately curated, but there's enough range here that you won't feel trapped by the usual suspects. Gaps exist in old-world depth — don't come hunting for grower Champagne or obscure Burgundy — but for a neighborhood spot in Iowa, this punches well above its weight class.

Thirty to fifty pours by the glass is genuinely impressive and the main reason Louie's earns its reputation locally. The breadth means you can work through a sparkling, a white, and a red across a single dinner without doubling up on variety. Rotation appears tied to the broader chain program rather than local sourcing, but the sheer volume of options keeps things fresh enough.