Lawrence's Best-Kept Natural Wine Secret
Downtown / Massachusetts Street · Lawrence · Wine Bar / New American Small Plates · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 10, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Meadowlark Wine Bar & Kitchen’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Eleven wines on the list sounds thin until you realize every single one was chosen with intention — this isn't a restaurant that threw a Malbec and a Meiomi on there and called it a day. The list reads like someone's personal cellar: a little funky, globally curious, and built around producers most Kansas diners have never encountered. That's a mission statement.
Meadowlark is quietly running one of the most adventurous lists in the state, full stop. You've got Testalonga's Follow Your Dreams Carignan from South Africa sitting next to M. + C. Lapierre's Raisins Gaulois Gamay — two natural wine darlings that would be right at home in a Brooklyn wine bar. The Pielihueso Naranjo Orange Torrontés from Argentina and the Vinícola Atacalco macerated Pinot Gris from Chile signal that orange wine is a genuine focus here, not a novelty. The gaps are obvious — no serious reds for bottle-splurgers, no Burgundy or Barolo for the old-world purists — but for what this list is trying to do, it nails it.
Everything on the list is available by the glass, which is either a flex or a limitation depending on how you look at it — there's no bottle-only cellar to chase. At $11–$16 a glass across the board, the pricing is refreshingly sane for a specialty program; you're not getting gouged to try something weird. The range covers sparkling (Codorníu Cava), orange, rosé, white, and red in just eleven slots, so turnover and freshness matter — hope they're moving bottles fast enough to keep quality consistent.
M. + C. Lapierre Raisins Gaulois Gamay Noir 2023 — $15/glass, $59/bottle
Lapierre is the Beaujolais benchmark for natural wine — this is a name that commands respect and a price tag online that doesn't leave much room for gouging. At $15 a glass in Lawrence, Kansas, you're drinking something that would cost you more at a trendy Nashville bar. Crunchy, fresh, low-intervention Gamay that drinks way above its price point.
Pielihueso Naranjo Orange Torrontés Blend 2025
Most people at a Kansas wine bar are going to beeline for the Sauvignon Blanc or the Gamay and skip right past this. Don't. Orange Torrontés from Argentina is a genuinely rare and strange thing — the floral aromatics of Torrontés get this grippy, textured makeover from skin contact, and the result is unlike anything else on the list. Order it first, while your palate is fresh.
Codorníu Cuvée Clasico Cava NV
Codorníu is a fine industrial Cava and there's nothing wrong with it, but it's the one pick on this list that feels like a safe filler rather than a thoughtful selection. In a lineup this adventurous, settling for a mass-market sparkler feels out of place — if you want bubbles, the Cote Basque Dry Cider is a more interesting call.
Bedrock Ode to Lulu Rosé of Mourvèdre 2025 + Charcuterie and cheese board
Bedrock's Mourvèdre rosé is structured and savory — not the sweet, wan pink stuff — with enough backbone to cut through fatty cured meats and hold up against a funky aged cheese. It's the kind of rosé that actually earns its place at the table rather than just looking pretty.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Meadowlark is punching so far above its weight class for a college town wine bar that it almost feels unfair to the rest of Kansas. The list is small but the vision is sharp — if you're anywhere near Lawrence and care even a little about natural wine, you owe this place a visit.
West Lawrence · Lawrence · American bar & grill
Set'em Up Jacks is a great sports bar that has absolutely no interest in being a wine destination, and that's fine — but don't come here thirsty for anything other than beer. Order the wings, grab a pint, and leave the wine list for the person who forgot to bring cash for a cocktail.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Lawrence · Lawrence · Italian
Basil Leaf isn't a wine destination, but with half-price bottle nights on Thursdays and Sundays and markups that are genuinely fair, it's the rare neighborhood Italian where you won't resent your wine bill. Order the Chianti, get the pasta, come back on Sunday.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
University of Kansas Campus / The Oread · Lawrence · Rooftop Bar / American
Nest on Ninth is a view bar with a wine list that does its job without embarrassing itself — fair prices, recognizable pours, and nothing to get excited about. Come for the rooftop, order the AIX Rosé, and don't expect more than that.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Lawrence · Lawrence · Tex-Mex
Cactus Grill is genuinely fun for what it is — a casual Tex-Mex spot with solid food and good margaritas — but the wine list is purely ornamental. Come for the tacos, drink the cocktails, and don't overthink the wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Massachusetts Street · Lawrence · American Brewpub
Free State is a Kansas institution and one of the best craft beer experiences in the Midwest — come for the beer, stay for the burger, and leave the wine to someone else. The list is fine in the way a gas station sandwich is fine: it exists, it won't hurt you, but it's not why you're here.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / 9th & Massachusetts · Lawrence · European-style café, coffee and cocktail bar
The Bourgeois Pig isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — and that's what makes the wine list a pleasant surprise rather than an embarrassment. If you're in the neighborhood for coffee or cocktails and the mood strikes, the rosé is a legit pour at a fair price.
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.