A taco spot that out-wines the wine bars
· Aurora · Modern Mexican · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 15, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Molino Chido’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Molino Chido lands like a surprise guest at the party — 15 bottles, all of them interesting, none of them boring. This is not the Malbec-and-Cab lineup you expect from a Mexican restaurant in Aurora. Someone here is paying attention.
The list is organized into categories — Espumosa, Blanco, Naranja, Roja — which immediately signals that this isn't an afterthought program. You've got a Lambrusco di Sorbara from Famiglia Carafori sitting next to a Greek Moscofilero from Troupis, a Sicilian Catarratto/Zebibbo blend from Gebbia, and G.D. Vajra's Langhe Rosso for the Nebbiolo-curious. The L.A. Cetto Chenin Blanc is a quiet nod to Baja wine culture that feels genuinely on-brand for a modern Mexican concept. The only gap is depth — 15 labels is tight, and if you want to explore, you'll hit the end of the list fast.
Every bottle on the list is also available by the glass, which is either a logistical flex or a sign that turnover is brisk enough to keep things fresh — either way, we'll take it. Pours range from $9 to $14, which is genuinely fair for this level of curation. The Crémant de Loire from Chateau de L'Eperonniere at $9 a glass is the kind of opening move that makes you trust a list immediately.
Chateau de L'Eperonniere Crémant de Loire — $9/glass
Nine dollars for a proper Loire sparkling — méthode traditionnelle, real bubbles, real acid — is a steal by any measure. This is the glass you order before you've even looked at the food menu.
Outward Wines Valdiguie Shell Creek Vineyard
Valdiguié is the grape everyone's forgotten about, and Outward is one of the few producers taking it seriously. It drinks like a lighter Gamay — juicy, low tannin, high fun — and it's exactly the kind of thing that works with bold, spiced food. Most tables will walk right past it.
El Jefe Grande Tempranillo
At $44 a bottle or $9 a glass, the price is fair enough, but Tempranillo is the safest, most expected pick on an otherwise adventurous list. If you're here, be here — there are far more interesting bottles for the same money.
Famiglia Carafori L'Onesta Lambrusco di Sorbara + Tacos with braised or fatty pork
Lambrusco di Sorbara is lighter and more floral than most people expect from the category — bright acid, gentle fizz, a little cherry. It cuts through rich, fatty taco fillings the way nothing else on this list can. It's the move.
The Bottom Line
Molino Chido is doing something genuinely unusual: building a wine list that reflects curiosity and culture in a space where most restaurants would just throw up a Kendall-Jackson. If you're in Aurora and you care about what's in your glass, this is your spot.
· Aurora · Cocktail Bar
Sorry Gorgeous isn't a wine destination, but it's a cocktail bar that actually tried — and that counts for something. Come for the rooftop, order the Pinot Blanc or the orange wine, and leave the Dom on the menu for someone else's bachelorette party.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Stanley Marketplace · Aurora · Oyster Bar / New American
Traveling Mercies is a Wild Card in the best way: an oyster bar inside a marketplace that built a wine list with actual conviction. It's not deep, but it's smart, and smart beats deep when you're eating shellfish in Aurora.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Gaylord Rockies / Gateway Park · Aurora · Steakhouse, American
Old Hickory is a reliable, well-run resort steakhouse wine program — sommelier on staff, proper glassware, wines stored correctly — but it's built for comfort, not discovery. Send a friend here if they want a guaranteed good glass with a great steak; send someone else if they're looking to find something new.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Meadow Hills / South Parker Road · Aurora · New American
Cody's isn't a wine destination and it has no interest in being one — but the list is priced fairly, the pours are recognizable, and there's just enough personality (Baja Tanga, we see you) to keep it from being completely forgettable. Send a friend here if they want wine with dinner, not wine as the reason for dinner.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Southlands · Aurora · American
BJ's Southlands is a perfectly fine place to drink a craft beer, and we mean that sincerely — lean into the thing they actually care about. The wine list is a national chain template on autopilot, marked up past its worth, with zero local character and no sign of anyone tending the program with any intention.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Aurora City Center · Aurora · Pizza / American
Old Chicago Aurora is a perfectly fine place to watch a game and eat pizza — just order a beer like everyone else. The wine list exists to check a box, not to enhance your meal, and no amount of J. Lohr is going to change that.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Portsmouth · Modern Mexican
Vida Cantina is a genuinely fun spot for food and cocktails, but the wine list is on autopilot — overpriced California standards with no imagination and no connection to the kitchen. Order a mezcal cocktail, grab the Vinho Verde if you insist on wine, and don't come here expecting anything more.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Paso Robles · Paso Robles · Modern Mexican
Fish Gaucho isn't a wine destination, but it's a wine-country restaurant that actually thought about its wine list — and that matters. Come for the tacos and tequila, but don't sleep on the glass of Albariño or Grenache Blanc sitting right there on the menu.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Bloomington · Modern Mexican
La Una Cantina is a genuinely fun night out — order the mezcal, order the tacos, and don't overthink the wine list because the restaurant clearly didn't. If wine is your thing, this is a cocktail night.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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