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 →
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 · Wine Bar / Small Plates
PH1315 is doing something genuinely interesting for Aurora — a tight, Italian-accented glass-only list at prices that don't insult you. It's not a destination wine bar, but it's the kind of neighborhood spot that makes you glad it exists.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Southlands · Aurora · New American / Wine Bar
Wine Experience Cafe is the kind of place that earns its name in a neighborhood where most restaurants don't try at all. It's not a destination list, but it's an honest one — and in a shopping center in Aurora, that's worth celebrating.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Aurora · Meadery Tasting Room
Dragon Meadery isn't a wine destination — it's something more interesting. If you send a friend here expecting Burgundy, they'll be lost; if you send them open-minded and curious, they'll probably come home with a bottle of something they've never tried before and can't stop talking about.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
· Aurora · Sinaloan / Mexican Seafood
Nobody walks into a Sinaloan seafood restaurant expecting Billecart-Salmon and Pieropan on the glass list, and that surprise is exactly what earns this place a Wild Card. If you're ordering from the sea side of the menu, the wine list here will actually help you — which is more than you can say for most restaurants twice the price point.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Aurora · Mediterranean
Pita Central is here for the food, full stop — the wine list is an afterthought and everyone involved seems fine with that. Order a beer or a soft drink and save the wine for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Greenwood Village · Aurora · Urban Winery
InVINtions is a genuine neighborhood wine spot in a market that doesn't have enough of them — the staff enthusiasm and approachable format make it worth a visit even if we can't pin down every bottle. Go with an open mind and a friend who likes to try things; you'll leave happy.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Acceptable
Park Place · Irvine · Modern Mexican
Puesto is a fun spot, but the wine list is essentially decorative — five Baja bottles isn't a program, it's a placeholder. Order a mezcal cocktail and revisit this decision when they decide to take wine seriously.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Winston Salem · Modern Mexican
Alma Mexicana is a genuine wild card — a modern Mexican restaurant in Winston-Salem with a wine program that's quietly pointing at Old World Europe instead of the expected California house pour. We need the full list to give you the real numbers, but the instinct here is good enough to warrant ordering something other than a margarita.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
· Naperville · Modern Mexican
Quiubo's wine list is short, safe, and priced reasonably enough that it won't ruin your night — but it won't add anything to it either. Stick to the Juan Gil or the Cava, enjoy your tacos, and don't come here expecting the wine to be part of the experience.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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