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🎲The Wild Card

Radish & Rye

Southern soul meets high desert wine sense

Downtown Β· Santa Fe Β· Farm-inspired cuisine with southern sensibilities Β· Visit Website β†—

date-nightlocal-producersold-world-focuscasual-vibes

Reviewed April 3, 2026

Wingman Metrics

List VarietySmall but Thoughtful
MarkupFair
GlasswareBasic Stemmed
StaffKnowledgeable & Friendly
Specials & DealsSet & Forget
Storage & TempProper

First Impression

Walk in expecting biscuits and bourbon and you'll get that β€” but the wine list has more going on than the southern comfort menu might suggest. There's a sommelier quietly steering the ship here, and it shows in the curation. The list isn't sprawling, but it's edited with intention.

Selection Deep Dive

Radish & Rye leans into bubbles harder than most farm-to-table spots, with a Champagne, Cava, and Prosecco spread that covers serious ground β€” from Laurent Perrier to the locally made Gruet Blanc de Noir. The Vara portfolio gets meaningful representation, which tracks given New Mexico's growing food-and-wine identity. The list skews European with a smart nod to regional producers, though anyone hunting deep reds or an extensive Burgundy run will come up short. At 50-80 bottles, it's compact but purposeful β€” this is a team that knows what they're doing and isn't padding the list to look impressive.

By the Glass

The by-the-glass program clocks in somewhere around 8-14 options, and what we see surfacing includes both the Gruet Blanc de Noir and the Vara Viura Vino Blanco β€” two pours that actually make sense with the food. Pricing by the glass starts as low as $12, which in a downtown Santa Fe dining room with a sommelier on staff is genuinely refreshing. Rotation appears limited, so don't expect seasonal surprises, but what's there is solid.

πŸ’°Best Value

Vara Silverhead Brut Rosado Cava N.V. β€” $14

A sparkling rosΓ© Cava for $14 that retails around $12 β€” the markup is practically nonexistent and it's a more interesting pour than the Prosecco sitting next to it on the list.

πŸ’ŽHidden Gem

Vara Viura Vino Blanco 2018

Viura is an undersung Spanish white grape that most people walk right past. At $14 a glass, this is the kind of thing a good sommelier puts in front of you before you've even looked at the menu β€” bright, textured, and actually interesting.

β›”Skip This

Adami Prosecco Brut N.V.

At $45 a bottle against a $25 retail price, this is the one spot where the pricing logic breaks down. It's fine Prosecco, but you're paying an 80% markup for something you can grab at any decent wine shop. Go Cava instead.

🍽️Perfect Pairing

Gruet Blanc de Noir N.V. + Shrimp & Grits

A New Mexico-made sparkling wine alongside one of the kitchen's southern signatures is a genuinely great local story β€” and it works on the palate too. The Blanc de Noir has enough body to stand up to the richness of grits while the bubbles keep each bite feeling clean.

🎲 The Bottom Line

Radish & Rye is a Wild Card in the best sense β€” a southern comfort kitchen in the high desert with a tighter, smarter wine list than you'd expect and pricing that mostly respects your wallet. Send a friend here and tell them to start with bubbles.

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