Fine Wine Twenty Feet Underground in Seoul
Herald Square · New York · Korean, Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 19, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Noksu’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
You descend into a subway station in Herald Square, find a 15-seat counter, and then someone hands you a wine list with Domaine Leflaive and Kistler on it. That whiplash is the whole point. This is one of the stranger rooms in New York, and the wine list is doing its best to keep up.
Noksu's list is tight by design — somewhere between 150 and 250 bottles — and it leans hard into France and California, which is the right call for a kitchen built around delicate, ocean-driven Korean flavors. Burgundy anchors the French side with Domaine Leflaive and Faiveley showing up alongside Rhône stalwarts Chapoutier and Guigal. Alsace gets respectable representation from Trimbach and Zind-Humbrecht, which is actually the smartest move on the whole list given the food. California holds its own with Kistler and Ramey on the Chardonnay side and Merry Edwards and Williams Selyem carrying Pinot Noir — nobody's phoning it in here.
Twelve to twenty pours by the glass at $14–$22 is a reasonable spread for a tasting-counter concept where you might want to move through several wines across multiple courses. The glass range is priced accessibly enough that experimenting doesn't feel punishing. We'd love to see more rotation, but what's here is curated, not lazy.
Trimbach Alsace Riesling — $14-$22 (glass)
Trimbach's Alsace Riesling is one of the most food-flexible bottles in the world and it belongs in a glass next to seafood-forward Korean cuisine. If it's on the glass list, order it before anything else — the acidity cuts through richness and doesn't fight the spice.
Zind-Humbrecht Alsace (any bottling)
Most people in this room are gravitating toward the Burgundy or the California Chardonnay. Zind-Humbrecht is sitting there being one of the greatest producers in France, largely ignored. Their wines have the texture and aromatic intensity to go toe-to-toe with fermented, umami-loaded Korean flavors in a way Chardonnay simply cannot.
Guigal Côtes du Rhône
Guigal's entry-level Côtes du Rhône is a fine grocery store bottle, but at restaurant markup in a room this precious, you're paying tasting-counter prices for supermarket wine. Step up to anything else on this list and you'll feel better about it.
Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Réserve + Peekytoe Crab Custard
Cold, silky crab custard needs something with fine bubbles, bright acidity, and zero oak — Billecart-Salmon's Brut Réserve is exactly that. The wine's chalky minerality mirrors the delicate sweetness of the crab without stomping on it.
The Bottom Line
A legitimately weird room with a wine list that punches well above its surroundings — Alsace and white Burgundy producers alongside 15 seats in a subway station is the kind of New York absurdity we're fully on board with. If you're eating here, lean into the French whites and stop overthinking it.
Downtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Downtown is a place where people order Champagne to celebrate, not to drink — and the wine program is built accordingly. If you're here for the vibe and someone else is paying, pop the Dom and enjoy it; if you actually care about what's in your glass, you're in the wrong room.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Upscale Seafood & Steakhouse
Three happy hour wines do not a wine program make. Ocean Prime is a place you eat well and drink safely — but if wine is a priority, this list will let you down before the bread basket arrives.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Midtown is a great place to see and be seen, but the wine list is there to pad the check, not to excite you. If you're here for the experience, lean on the cocktails or grab a glass of Bonanza at the bar — don't expect the bottle list to reward any real curiosity.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown West · New York · Russian-American
The Russian Tea Room treats wine as an afterthought dressed up in Champagne flutes — five famous labels at punishing prices with no range, no by-the-glass program, and no apparent curiosity about wine beyond what looks impressive on a table. Go for the spectacle, order the caviar, but don't come here expecting a wine list.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
David Burke Tavern's list is a Chardonnay lover's comfort zone with a solid sparkling section propping up the top — but the narrow focus and steep pricing mean you're paying for familiarity, not discovery. Send a friend here if they want California whites and a glass of Champagne; send them somewhere else if they want to explore.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
Corima's wine list is proof that ten well-chosen bottles beat a hundred thoughtless ones every time. If you care about what's in your glass, this place is worth your attention.
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.
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