Fountain Square's Secret Weapon for Real Wine
Fountain Square · Indianapolis · Wine Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 22, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Revel Wine Bar’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The list is compact — 23 bottles — but the moment you see house-label Carménère and Pais Viejo from J. Bouchon sitting next to Wildekans Chenin Blanc, you know someone's paying attention. This isn't a restaurant that threw a wine list together to check a box. Fountain Square got a real wine bar.
Revel leans hard into its own-label program — sourcing from Ohio River Valley AVA, Columbia Valley WA, and Lodi CA — and it's a genuinely interesting move for Indianapolis. The house Sangiovese, Cab Franc, and Zinfandel give the list a winemaker-driven identity you don't usually find at this price point. Beyond the house stuff, they've dug into some underplayed corners: Pullus Halozen from Slovenia, J. Bouchon's Pais Viejo from Chile, Cantina Settecani Lambrusco, and Domaine de la Tourmaline Muscadet round out a list that quietly punches well above its weight. The gaps are real — no serious Burgundy, no Barolo, no aged anything — but that's not really the point here.
Nearly the entire list is available by the glass, which is rare and worth celebrating. That means you can work your way through Wildekans Chenin Blanc, Tridente Tempranillo, and the house Black Sheep Rosé in one sitting without committing to a bottle. The Wednesday half-price bottle program means smart regulars are buying house-label Revel wines at a steal.
Pais Viejo | J. Bouchon — null
Pais is one of Chile's most underrated grapes — old-vine, low-intervention, criminally underpriced wherever it shows up. J. Bouchon is a serious producer and this is the kind of bottle that makes a wine bar worth revisiting.
Halozen [Dry Red Blend] | Pullus
Pullus is a top Slovenian producer and Halozen is a dry red blend most people in Indianapolis have never encountered. That's the whole point. Grab it before they stop carrying it.
Champagne | Collet
Collet is a perfectly fine Champagne house, but on a list this small and indie-spirited, the Cremant Rosé or Kila Cava will give you 80% of the experience at a fraction of the price. The Collet feels like a placeholder.
Lambrusco | Cantina Settecani + Charcuterie Board
Cantina Settecani Lambrusco is dry, fizzy, and acidic enough to cut through cured meats and aged cheese without competing with them. Classic Italian logic, and it works the same way in Fountain Square.
Wednesday — Half off all Revel Wine bottles every Wednesday evening
The Bottom Line
Revel is doing something genuinely interesting in Indianapolis — a house wine program with regional ambition, a by-the-glass list that's almost the whole menu, and a Wednesday bottle deal that makes it a neighborhood essential. Send your friends here.
Downtown Indianapolis · Indianapolis · American Steakhouse
Prime 47 is a dependable, California-forward steakhouse list that earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence — not because it takes risks, but because it executes the classics reliably and keeps the Cabs flowing. Send a friend here if they want a good bottle with a great steak; just don't send them expecting to discover anything new.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Indianapolis · Indianapolis · French, Japanese
Vida is the kind of wine program that makes you wish more mid-sized American cities had a Jared May running their lists — deep Burgundy, serious California, and a dining concept that actually justifies both. Yes, you'll pay for it, but this is a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence winner for real reasons.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Indianapolis · Indianapolis · American Steakhouse
St. Elmo is the rare steakhouse that earns its Best of Award of Excellence without feeling like it's trying to impress anyone — the list is deep, the wines are real, and Monday half-price night is genuinely one of the best deals in Indianapolis. The markups can sting, but the bones of this program are excellent.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Herron-Morton Place · Indianapolis · Fine-Casual American
Tinker Street is the wine list that Indianapolis shouldn't have yet somehow does — globally curious, genuinely deep in spots, and anchored by a few pours that would feel at home at a serious wine bar in any major city. The markups on entry-level bottles keep it from being a full Rager, but the ambition earns a trip.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Mass Ave · Indianapolis · Southern, American, Brew Pub
The Eagle is a genuinely great place to eat fried chicken — the wine list, however, is an afterthought dressed up in a menu. Drink the beer, order the bubbles if you must, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that reciprocates.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Indianapolis · New American
Cerulean is exactly what a serious restaurant in a mid-sized American city should be doing with wine — real producers, fair pours, a sommelier who actually knows the list. Send your friends here, especially if they're doing the tasting menu.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· San Jose · Wine Bar
Rootstock is doing something genuinely uncommon for San Jose: building a wine list with a real perspective, fair prices, and enough depth to reward repeat visits. The pét-nat and multi-vintage Reeve presence alone put it ahead of most dedicated wine bars in the Bay. If you care about what's in your glass, this place deserves your attention.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Telluride · Wine Bar
Communion is a focused, deliberate wine bar that built a short list with real intention — anchored on Leitz, punctuated by a standout Chave Selections white, and thoughtful enough to include non-alcoholic options alongside the serious stuff. We don't have pricing data to confirm value, and the list is compact enough that adventurous drinkers may want more range — but what's here is chosen with care. If you're in Telluride and want wine that someone actually thought about, this is your stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Downtown St. Helena · St. Helena · Wine Bar
Elsewhere is doing something genuinely useful in St. Helena: giving people a place to drink well after dinner without the pageantry of a tasting room or the markup theater of a hotel bar. We can't confirm every bottle or price point from here, but a sommelier-driven list with Napa, Burgundy, and Bordeaux range plus honest small plates earns a look. Go in, talk to the staff, and let them guide you — that's exactly what this kind of place is built for.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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