Wine Wednesday saves this neighborhood stalwart
Piedmont · Lincoln · Modern American, Midwestern Comfort Food · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 25, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Piedmont Bistro reads like a greatest hits of approachable grocery-store staples — La Crema, Meiomi, Oyster Bay — names you recognize from the end cap at Total Wine. That's not necessarily a knock; this is a neighborhood bistro in Lincoln, not a wine bar in the West Village, and the crowd here knows what they like. The real story is Wednesday, when the whole calculus shifts in your favor.
The list leans hard on California with familiar labels: Cloisonné and La Crema holding down Chardonnay, Meiomi and Erath covering the Pinot Noir flank. New Zealand checks in via Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Italy sends Giuseppe Luigi Pinot Grigio, and Germany (or German-style) gets a nod with Fritz's Riesling — which is actually the most interesting thing on the list for anyone paying attention. Don't come here looking for Burgundy, Barolo, or anything that requires a backstory; the list is built for people who want something cold, safe, and comfortable. It does that job without embarrassing itself, even if it leaves adventurous drinkers wanting more.
By-the-glass specifics are thin — the full count isn't published cleanly — but the pours we can confirm span Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Pinot Noir, which covers the bases for a casual dinner crowd. On a normal night the markup math isn't flattering, but on Wine Wednesday those $5 glasses of select wines flip the script entirely. If you're going to drink here, go on Wednesday — full stop.
Fritz's Riesling — $5 (Wine Wednesday)
On a Wednesday, this is the move. Riesling is chronically underordered in the Midwest, which means it often sits fresher than the Chardonnay. A solid glass of Riesling at five bucks while you're cutting into a house steak is a genuinely good night.
Fritz's Riesling
Everyone at the table is ordering Chardonnay or Meiomi, and this Riesling is just sitting there. It's the only wine on the list with any real tension and personality — bright acidity, a little stone fruit — and it's being completely ignored. Don't be like everyone at the table.
Silver Gate Chardonnay
The math here is brutal on a normal night: a bottle that retails around eight dollars gets poured at restaurant prices that don't reflect that economy. At happy hour it's inoffensive; at full price, you're paying handsomely for something you could grab at a gas station.
Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc + Seared Scallops
Oyster Bay's sharp citrus and grassy snap cut right through the richness of seared scallops — it's a classic high-acid white with shellfish pairing that works even when the wine isn't particularly exciting on its own. This is the one combination on the menu where the list actually plays to its strengths.
Wednesday — $5 glasses of select wines and 25% off bottles all day — promoted as Wine Wednesday. The single best reason to think about wine here.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Piedmont Bistro isn't a destination for wine lovers, but it's a perfectly decent neighborhood spot where Wednesday turns a so-so list into a legitimately good deal. Come for the food, time your visit right, and don't overthink it.
South Lincoln · Lincoln · Modern Asian (Thai-focused with pan-Asian influences)
Issara has no business having a wine list this considered — and we mean that as the highest compliment. If you care about drinking well with your food, this is the most interesting wine list in Lincoln and it's not particularly close.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Haymarket · Lincoln · French-influenced contemporary American
The Green Gateau is a lovely room with a kitchen worth visiting, but the wine list is a 200-bottle monument to playing it safe and charging extra for the privilege. Send your friend here for the food; tell them to watch their wallet on the wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Lincoln · Wings / Sports Bar
The Watering Hole is a great spot for wings and a cold beer — the wine list is an afterthought and the pricing makes sure you know it. If you're here for a game and need wine, grab the Riesling or the Prosecco and call it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Lincoln · Lincoln · American grill and brewpub
Lazlo's South Lincoln is a reliable neighborhood brewpub that happens to stock a respectable short wine list — don't expect discovery, but you won't feel stranded if you're skipping the beer. Send a friend here for dinner knowing the wine won't embarrass anyone.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown / Near South · Lincoln · French-influenced contemporary American
The Green Gateau is doing something genuinely uncommon: running a deep, fairly priced, award-recognized wine program in a mid-sized Midwest city without making a big show of it. Yes, send your friends here — just tell them to show up before 6 p.m.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Downtown · Lincoln · Contemporary American, farm-to-table
DISH is doing something genuinely impressive for a mid-sized Midwestern city — a thoughtful, sommelier-curated list with real depth and serious producers. The markups keep it from being a true Rager, but as a Wild Card, it earns every bit of that badge: you simply don't expect this wine list in Lincoln, Nebraska, and that surprise is worth the trip downtown.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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