Irving's Tiny List That Swings Big
· Irving · Wine Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 31, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Mercy Wine Bar & Lounge’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Fourteen bottles. That's the whole list. In most places that would be a red flag, but one look at what's on here and you realize this isn't laziness — it's curation with a point of view. Someone at Mercy has done their homework and is not here to sell you Kendall-Jackson.
The list reads like a love letter to the weird and wonderful: a Trousseau from Shasta-Cascade, an Assyrtiko from Thessaly, an orange Macabeo, a Chenin Blanc from the Loire, and a cider-Chardonnay hybrid from Walter Scott. The only red that resembles 'normal' is the G.D. Vajra Langhe Rosso, which is still a left-field pick for a Texas wine bar. There's virtually no Cabernet, no Malbec, no Rosé of Provence — and that's entirely intentional. The gaps are real: if you came for something familiar and fruit-forward, you're going to be challenged. If you came to discover something, you're in the right place.
All 14 bottles are available by the glass, which is unusual and generous — it means you can graze across the whole list without committing. Pours run $8–$18, which is honest money for this caliber of producer. No obvious rotation program in evidence, but when the entire list is this curated, the selection itself does the work.
Walter Scott Lucy Chardonnay/Cider Blend 2021 — $32
The lowest-priced bottle on the list and arguably the most interesting conversation starter. Walter Scott is a respected Oregon producer, and this Chardonnay-cider hybrid is genuinely unlike anything else on the menu. At $32 it's an easy yes — curious, approachable, and priced like they want you to try it.
Iruai Shasta Cascade Trousseau 2023
Most people are going to skip right past this because they don't recognize the grape. That's their loss. Trousseau from California's Shasta-Cascade region is rare enough that seeing it on any list is noteworthy — light-bodied, savory, and earthy in a way that makes Pinot Noir feel obvious by comparison.
Pere Mata Cupada Rosé Brut 2022
At $72 this Cava competes directly with the Sanger Voyage 360 Champagne NV at the same price. Cava at Champagne prices is a tough sell — the Pere Mata is a fine wine, but the value math doesn't work when actual Champagne is sitting right next to it for the same number.
Domaine Zafeirakis Assyrtiko 2023 + Charcuterie or cheese board
Without a full food menu on record we're working with what a wine bar typically offers, and an Assyrtiko from Thessaly — structured, saline, with real acidity — is built for salty, fatty bites. It cuts through richness and holds its own against bold flavors in a way that softer whites simply don't.
The Bottom Line
Mercy is punching way above its weight for Irving, Texas — a 14-bottle list that somehow covers natural wine, skin contact, sparkling, and old-world obscurities without a single safe-harbor Cab in sight. If you're anywhere near this zip code and you're tired of the same old list, this is your spot.
Las Colinas · Irving · Italian
Italian Cafe is a reliable neighborhood option for a low-key dinner with wine that won't embarrass itself alongside the food. The wine program isn't the reason to come here — the lakeside atmosphere and comfort Italian cooking are — but it should hold its own for a casual weeknight out. If you're a serious wine drinker, temper expectations; if you just want something decent in the glass with your lobster ravioli, you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Las Colinas · Irving · Italian, steak, seafood
This is not the lazy hotel wine list you're bracing for. Someone made real choices here — Timorasso, Grignolino, Etna Rosso, Vajra — and priced most of them fairly for the setting. It earns the Wild Card badge because nothing about 'Ritz-Carlton in Irving, Texas' prepares you for a list this considered. If you're in Las Colinas for any reason, it's worth sitting down for a glass.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Varietal Specific
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Proper
· Irving · New American / Wine Bar
Bacchus has no business being this interesting with only four bottles on the list, but here we are. If you're open to drinking outside your comfort zone over brunch in suburban Texas, this tiny, weird card is worth the trip.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Deep Ellum · Irving · Bar / Entertainment
Electric Shuffle is genuinely a fun night out — just don't make wine the reason you go. Grab a cocktail, dominate at shuffleboard, and save the bottle hunt for somewhere that actually wants to be in that conversation.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Irving · Spanish / Wine Bar
Barcelona Wine Bar in Irving shouldn't be this good, and yet here we are — a 48-bottle all-by-the-glass list with real depth, fair prices, and a genuine point of view. If you're anywhere near this part of Dallas, it's worth a detour just for the wine.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Galleria · Irving · Italian
North Italia isn't a destination wine list, but it's a genuinely respectable one — fair prices, regional Italian whites worth ordering, and enough variety to reward curious drinkers. Send your friends here knowing they won't be stuck choosing between Pinot Grigio and nothing.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Buckman · Portland · Wine Bar
A winery list that is easy to order from: 22 wines, all by the glass at 14 to 17, with house bottlings next to imports. Start with the five-pour ENSO Reds flight at $25, then settle on a glass of the Chateauneuf du Stark at 16 or the chilled Valpolicella at 15, and confirm what is open since the menu is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine menu, not service, storage or markups.
Galleria/Uptown · Houston · Wine Bar
A glass-first wine bar sheet with real range: 6 oz pours from $14 to $120, ten themed 2 oz flights, and a note that a 4,000-selection list is also available. Start with the $14 Poggio Costa Prosecco Rosé or the $19 Chateau Musar Hochar, and confirm current pours because the posted list is marked 5/13/2026. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Box Factory · Bend · Wine Bar
The Bend Wine Bar pours one winery's Oregon and Washington wines, and its Fall 2026 menu leans on Black Dog Vineyard Pinot Noir. Order the Pinot Noir 2022 by the glass with the $27 salami and cheese board, or start with the $13 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Confirm what is pouring today, since the menu is labeled Fall 2026; this unrated guide covers the posted wine menu, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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