Greensboro's French Bistro That Takes Wine Seriously
Greensboro · French, European · Visit Website ↗
Updated September 2026
Reviewed April 21, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Print Works Bistro’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Print Works Bistro — tucked next to the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro — the wine list feels like someone actually put thought into it, which is not a given in this part of North Carolina. The list runs 150-plus bottles deep with a clear point of view: California, France, Italy, the holy trinity of crowd-pleasing serious wine. It's been holding a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2008, and the list has the bones to back that up.
The list covers the expected upscale French bistro territory — Napa Cabernet, Bordeaux Chateaux, Burgundy Pinot Noir — but it earns its keep by also running Barolo, Barbaresco, and Super Tuscans alongside Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. That's a genuinely coherent selection, not just a random stack of trophy bottles. The French coverage skews classical, which fits the bistro format, and the Italian section shows some ambition beyond just Chianti. The one gap worth noting: if you're hunting for anything outside the Old World-meets-California axis — Iberian wines, anything from the Southern Hemisphere, natural producers — you'll come up empty.
Somewhere between 12 and 20 pours by the glass, priced $10–$18, which is honest for an upscale restaurant in 2024. The range mirrors the bottle list — expect Chardonnay, Cabernet, and likely a Bordeaux-style red to anchor the lineup. No evidence of active rotation or a creative by-the-glass program, so don't expect surprises, but the core pours should be solid.
Sonoma Coast Chardonnay — $35-$50 range
Sonoma Coast Chardonnay at a French bistro is the right call — it has the structure to handle classic bistro food without the butter-bomb Napa profile. At the lower end of their bottle pricing, it's the smartest spend on the list.
Barbaresco
Most tables ordering Italian here will default to a Super Tuscan because the name recognition is easier. Skip that instinct. A Barbaresco from their list is Nebbiolo at its most elegant — floral, structured, and the kind of wine that turns a roasted chicken into a real meal.
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Cab at a restaurant is almost always a markup trap, and there's no reason to think Print Works is the exception. You're paying for the brand recognition, not the glass. Spend that money on a Bordeaux Chateau from their list instead and drink something with actual cellar time behind it.
Burgundy Pinot Noir + Steak Frites
Steak frites is bistro-core, and a red Burgundy — earthy, high-acid, medium-bodied — cuts through the richness of the frites and doesn't bully the beef the way a Cab would. It's the most French-correct thing you can order at this table.
The Bottom Line
Print Works Bistro is doing the right things for wine in a market where most restaurants aren't trying at all — a focused list, fair prices, and 15-plus years of Wine Spectator recognition to show it's not an accident. It's not a destination wine list, but if you're eating in Greensboro and want a real bottle with dinner, this is where you go.
South Elm · Greensboro · Wine bar & cheese
Lewis & Elm earns the Wild Card badge because it's the kind of unexpected neighborhood wine bar that punches well above its zip code — a sommelier-curated list leaning into Tuscany, Greece, and Sicily inside a cozy South Elm storefront is not what most people expect to find in Greensboro. We'd happily send a friend here for a flight and a cheese board, and tell them to actually listen to whatever the staff recommends. Just know that our sourced pricing detail is thin right now, so go in with curiosity and ask questions — that's the right posture for a place like this anyway.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Greensboro · New American and Wine Bar
1808 Craft & Vine is doing something quietly smart: a fully by-the-glass list at prices that don't punish curiosity, with enough international range to keep things interesting. We don't know the food, we don't know the staff, and the list isn't going to wow a Burgundy collector — but if you're in Greensboro and want to drink something you'd never order at a chain steakhouse, this is the move.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Greensboro · Wine and Cocktail Bar
Marjae's is doing something genuinely uncommon for a mid-size Southern city: running a wine-forward space with actual expertise behind it, at prices that won't make you wince. We'd send a friend here for a low-key date night or a Thursday tasting without hesitation — just go in ready to ask questions, because the staff seems like they actually want to answer them.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
· Greensboro · Cocktail and Wine Bar
Bitters Social House isn't trying to be a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — but the pricing is genuinely fair, a couple of producer picks show real effort, and the by-the-glass setup means you can drink well without committing to a bottle. If you're in Greensboro and need a glass before or after dinner, this is a perfectly honest place to have one.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Greensboro · Italian Steakhouse
Giovanni's is a reliable neighborhood anchor — the room is good, the food has a loyal following, and the Italian reds give you enough to work with if you dig past the Sand Point labels. We'd send a friend here for dinner without hesitation; we'd just steer them straight toward the Barolo or Brunello and skip the California filler.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Greensboro · Steakhouse
Fleming's Greensboro is doing more than most chain steakhouses bother to do with wine — 42 by-the-glass options and actual Alsatian whites on a Greensboro wine list deserves acknowledgment. The markups are real and the list isn't going to surprise anyone who's been to a Fleming's before, but if you're eating a bone-in ribeye and want a proper glass without guesswork, this delivers.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Williamsburg · Brooklyn · French, European
Le Crocodile is the kind of place that makes you wonder why every neighborhood doesn't have a serious French wine program tucked inside a bistro this unpretentious. Pricing leans steep at the top end, but the staff knows their stuff and the list earns its stripes — send a friend here without hesitation.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
French Quarter · New Orleans · French, European
MaMou is a Burgundy love letter set inside a French Quarter bistro, and for the right diner — someone who wants to eat duck confit and drink Drouhin — it absolutely delivers. Just know what you're walking into: a focused, France-first list with prices that reflect it.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Sedona · Sedona · French, European
Cress on Oak Creek earns its Wine Spectator nod by doing something genuinely unusual — championing Arizona producers alongside French and Californian heavyweights without making it feel gimmicky. If you're in Sedona and want a serious glass of wine with serious food, this is your spot.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
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