Greek Wine in Chicago? Finally, Someone Gets It.
Fulton Market · Chicago · Greek · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 13, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Lyra’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You walk into Lyra's moody, buzzy Fulton Market dining room and the wine list feels like it actually belongs here — not an afterthought bolted onto a pretty restaurant. The Greek focus is real and committed, not a token Assyrtiko dropped in next to a wall of California Cabs. This is one of the few spots in Chicago where you can actually explore Greek wine with intention.
The list runs 120-180 bottles and leans hard into Greece, which is exactly what it should do. Santorini is well represented with Domaine Sigalas and Hatzidakis both showing up for Assyrtiko — two of the island's benchmark producers — alongside Gaia's Thalassitis, which is a serious third option in the same grape. Northern Greece gets love too: Boutari Naoussa and Alpha Estate both bring Xinomavro to the table, the grape that deserves to be talked about the way people talk about Nebbiolo. Domaine Gerovassiliou's Malagousia rounds out the white side nicely. California fills out the gaps with crowd-pleasing anchors like Kosta Browne and Ridge, keeping the list accessible without being lazy.
With 12-18 pours running $12-$22, the by-the-glass program has real range for a cuisine-focused restaurant. The hope is that Greek bottles rotate through the glass program — an Assyrtiko by the glass at a Greek restaurant in Chicago is exactly what the city needs more of. The pricing ceiling at $22 is reasonable for the Fulton Market zip code.
Boutari Naoussa Xinomavro — $45–$65
Xinomavro is the Nebbiolo of Greece — high acid, savory, structured — and Boutari is the accessible entry point into the grape. At the lower end of Lyra's price range, you're getting a wine that would command serious attention in a blind tasting. Order this before the table defaults to something familiar.
Domaine Gerovassiliou Malagousia
Most people at this table are reaching for the Assyrtiko, and understandably so. But Malagousia is the white grape that Greek wine geeks actually get excited about — floral, aromatic, lower acid than Assyrtiko, and genuinely distinctive. Gerovassiliou basically rescued the variety from near-extinction. Skip past it and you're missing something.
Kosta Browne Pinot Noir
Kosta Browne is fine wine, no argument there, but you didn't come to a Greek restaurant in Fulton Market to drink a $90+ Sonoma Pinot that you could order at a hundred other places in Chicago. The markup on well-known California names rarely favors the diner, and the opportunity cost here is real — that money goes much further on the Greek side of this list.
Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko + Whole Roasted Fish
Sigalas Assyrtiko is high-acid, mineral, and saline in a way that almost tastes like it was designed to sit next to fish pulled from the Aegean. The whole roasted fish at Lyra is the move anyway, and this pairing is about as culinarily honest as it gets — same soil, same sea, same table.
The Bottom Line
Lyra earns its Wine Spectator nod by doing something genuinely rare in Chicago: building a wine list that takes Greek producers seriously and prices them fairly. If you've been sleeping on Greek wine, this is the restaurant that will change that.
Logan Square · Chicago · Italian
Come to Osteria Langhe for a focused trip through Piedmontese wine. Thursday’s advertised half-price selection is worth asking about, and Wednesday offers a wine pairing alongside the four-course menu. The linked wine list is dated December 2025, so confirm today’s bottles and prices before choosing.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
Lincoln Park · Chicago · American Casual
Summer House is not a wine destination, but it's a reliable place to drink well enough without getting gouged on the low end — just steer clear of the big-name bottles where the markup climbs. Send your friend here if they want something easy and good; don't send them here if they're chasing something serious.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chicago · Italian
il Carciofo is doing something genuinely rare: building a wine list that treats Italian regional variety as the main event, not the footnote. If you're tired of the same Pinot Grigio and Chianti Classico circuit, this is exactly where you should be eating dinner.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Chicago · Chicago · Steakhouse
STK Chicago is here to sell you a night out, and the wine list is just part of the set dressing. If you care about what's in your glass, eat here for the steak and order water.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chicago · French Brasserie
La Grande Boucherie Chicago is a reliable wine destination for anyone who wants a French-focused list executed with genuine effort and the occasional smart value. The markups aren't shy, but the BTG program and specials take some of the sting out — go in with a plan and you'll drink well.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
· Chicago · Steakhouse
This is not the wine list you expect to find at The Palm, and that's exactly why it earns attention. Six bottles, zero filler, genuinely fair pricing — if someone's tending this list, they deserve a raise.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Walla Walla · Greek
Yamas is a casual Greek eatery that has absolutely no business having a wine list this interesting — and we mean that as the highest compliment. If you're in Walla Walla and want to drink something genuinely unexpected without spending fine-dining money, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Stamford · Greek
Kouzina is doing the right things with Greek wine in a city that doesn't ask for it, and that's worth something. Pricing runs a little hot, but if you stick to the Greek producers and let the Assyrtiko do its thing, you'll eat and drink well.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central City · Salt Lake City · Greek
Manoli's wine list is doing something most restaurants in Salt Lake City won't bother trying — it's actually teaching you something about Greek wine without making you feel like you're in a classroom. If you're even mildly curious about Old World grapes beyond the usual suspects, this is worth your time.
Small but Thoughtful
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.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
