Kansas's Most Serious Wine List, Full Stop
Downtown · Lawrence · Wine Bar & Italian Bistro · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 10, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Pane e Vino’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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You're in Lawrence, Kansas — home of the Jayhawks and a surprising number of great taquerias — and then you walk into Pane e Vino and find a 250-label list with Sassicaia, Ornellaia, and Bollinger sharing space with lesser-known Rhône and Piedmont producers. It genuinely stops you mid-sentence. This is not a wine list that belongs to this zip code, and we mean that as the highest possible compliment.
Italy is the backbone, as it should be given the name — Brunello di Montalcino, G.D. Vajra's Barolo, and Super Tuscans like Ornellaia and Sassicaia anchor the heavy end of the cellar with real conviction. France holds its own with Bollinger Champagne across multiple cuvées, Guigal's Rhône lineup, Pierre Amadieu in Gigondas, and serious white Burgundy in the form of Olivier Leflaive's Meursault 1er Cru Charmes and Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles. California and broader international selections round things out without feeling like obligatory filler. The only gap worth noting: if you're hunting for deep New World exploration beyond California, you may find the southern hemisphere a bit thin.
The by-the-glass program here is extraordinary — somewhere between 150 and 300 options depending on what's open and rotating, which means you're essentially drinking off a bottle list most restaurants would charge you full price to access. Prices run $10–$25 a glass, which keeps things democratic without undercutting the quality signal. This is genuinely one of the strongest BTG programs we've encountered anywhere in the Midwest.
Pierre Amadieu Gigondas — $14/glass (est.)
Gigondas punches well above its price point on a good day — it's Châteauneuf's scrappier, less famous neighbor, and Pierre Amadieu does it right. In a BTG program where this kind of Southern Rhône shows up next to Bollinger, it's the smart order for anyone who wants serious wine without the serious price tag.
Olivier Leflaive Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 2019
Most people at a wine bar with Sassicaia on the list are reaching for something red and Italian. That's fine — but the Olivier Leflaive Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 2019 is sitting right there, and it's the kind of white Burgundy that makes you put your phone down. Meursault Charmes is one of the appellation's most celebrated 1er Crus, and Leflaive's négociant operation consistently over-delivers. Don't sleep on it.
Sassicaia (Tenuta San Guido)
Look, Sassicaia is one of Italy's great wines and we respect it completely — but at a restaurant where the real story is value and discovery, spending top dollar on a bottle you could Google-price in two seconds is a missed opportunity. The staff here actually knows their list; ask them what's interesting at $60 and you'll eat better for it.
G.D. Vajra Barolo + Braised Short Ribs on Polenta
Vajra's Barolo brings the classic Nebbiolo combination of firm tannins, dried roses, and tar — which is exactly what you want when you're pulling apart short ribs slow-cooked into submission over creamy polenta. The fat in the dish softens the wine's edges; the wine's acid cuts through the richness. Saturday bistro night, Barolo in hand — that's the move.
Monday — Half off any glass or bottle of wine every Monday. The restaurant also runs Tuesday pasta night and a discounted 3-wine flight on Fridays.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Pane e Vino is the kind of wine bar that makes you recalibrate your expectations about mid-sized college towns — 250+ labels, a sommelier on staff, half-price wine Mondays, and a BTG program that would embarrass most major-city restaurants. Yes, we'd send a friend here. We'd send ourselves here.
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Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Lawrence · Lawrence · Italian
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
University of Kansas Campus / The Oread · Lawrence · Rooftop Bar / American
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Lawrence · Lawrence · Tex-Mex
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Massachusetts Street · Lawrence · American Brewpub
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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
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