Downtown Cincinnati's Old World Sneak Attack
Downtown · Cincinnati · New American · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 28, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Salazar’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The list is short enough to read before your bread arrives, but every single pour earns its spot. This isn't a list that was built by a distributor rep on autopilot — someone here has opinions, and they lean hard into Europe.
Twelve by-the-glass options covering Portugal, Loire, Mosel, Styria, Gredos, Rioja, Piedmont, and the Rhône — that's a lot of ground for a tight list. Filipa Pato's '3B Blanc de Blancs' and Domaine de la Pepière's 'La Pepie Muscadet' signal that whoever built this actually enjoys drinking interesting wine. Jean-Louis Chave's 'Mon Coeur' Crozes-Hermitage showing up for $17 is a genuine coup for a New American spot in Cincinnati. The gaps are real — no Champagne, no Burgundy, no Barolo — but the curatorial vision is clear enough that we're not complaining.
All twelve options are by the glass, which is the entire program — there's no separate bottle list visible from the research, so your full range lives here. Prices run $14 to $22, with the dessert pours from Quinta do Infantado landing at a very fair $8. Rotation doesn't appear to be a thing; this list reads more like a curated standing menu than a chalkboard that changes weekly.
Jean-Louis Chave 'Mon Coeur' Crozes-Hermitage — $17
Chave is one of the most respected names in the Northern Rhône. Their entry-level Crozes-Hermitage still carries serious house pedigree — savory Syrah with actual depth — and $17 a glass is just not a price you see often for this producer.
Granite Project 'Granito de Gredos'
Gredos is one of Spain's most exciting regions right now — high-altitude Garnacha grown on granite soils that tastes nothing like the fruity crowd-pleasers most people expect from Spanish reds. At $15 it's an easy yes, and most tables are going to walk right past it.
L'Hoste Pere & Fils 'Prestige Terroir de Chardonnay'
At $22 it's the most expensive pour on the list and the name doesn't ring the same bells as the other producers here. When you can drink Chave for $17 or Filipa Pato for $14, there's no reason to lead with this one.
Domaine de la Pepière 'La Pepie Muscadet' + Crispy Skin King Salmon
Muscadet is basically purpose-built for anything that comes out of water. La Pepie has enough salinity and citrus snap to cut through the salmon's fat and crispy skin without ever getting in the way — classic pairing, criminally underrated.
The Bottom Line
Salazar's wine list punches well above its weight for a downtown Cincinnati restaurant — focused, fairly priced, and clearly assembled by someone who drinks outside the mainstream. Send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation.
Newport (Greater Cincinnati Riverfront) · Cincinnati · Seafood
Chart House delivers exactly what it promises: a reliable, unadventurous wine list in a spectacular waterfront setting. Come for the view and the lobster bisque — just don't expect the wine list to match the scenery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Cincinnati · Wine Bar
Ripple is punching well above its Cincinnati zip code with a sparkling-forward list that's genuinely thoughtful and mostly fairly priced. If you love bubbles in all their forms, this is your spot — and even if you don't walk in that way, you might walk out converted.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Cincinnati · Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Cincinnati is a reliable, well-stocked steakhouse list that delivers exactly what it promises — big California reds, proper storage, and a bottle for every budget above $50. Just don't come expecting discovery; come expecting execution.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Over-the-Rhine · Cincinnati · Tapas / Mediterranean-inspired small plates
Abigail Street is a Wild Card because nobody walks into a tapas spot in OTR expecting Lebanese orange wines and Champagne from Bollinger — but here we are. The markup math on the tap program stings, but the top half of this list is doing real work and earns a recommendation.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North / Kenwood area · Cincinnati · New American / Grill & Wine Bar
Seasons 52 Cincinnati is a chain wine program that punches above its weight class on volume and actually tries — Monday half-price bottles are a legitimate reason to show up on a specific night. Just go in knowing this is a crowd-pleaser list, not a discovery list, and you'll leave satisfied.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Mason · Cincinnati · West Coast–style American (brunch-focused cafe)
Maplewood Mason isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — the list is fair, accessible, and has just enough personality (Stolpman, Jezebel Blanc) to keep it from being totally forgettable. If you're here for brunch, grab a glass and don't overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Aurora · New American
The Common Good is doing more with its wine list than its Aurora zip code might suggest — 73 labels, a thoughtful Chardonnay section spanning California to Western Australia, and 24 pours by the glass gives you real options. Markup runs a bit steep across the board, and we don't have enough intel on staff knowledge or red selections to call this anything more than a reliable neighborhood overachiever. If you care about wine and you're eating in Aurora, this is the room.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Smyrna · Atlanta · New American
Muss & Turner's isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — and that honesty is oddly refreshing. If you're in Smyrna on a Tuesday, the reported wine-focused night is reason enough to show up early, grab a seat, and let the shrimp and grits do the heavy lifting while you figure out what's on the list.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· Atlanta · New American
Soho's wine list is built for people who already know what they like — California reds, recognizable labels, no curveballs. The markup is real (Faust at $132/bottle and Moët at $138 are tough to justify), but the by-the-glass depth gives you flexibility to stay in a reasonable range. If you're here for the food and want a no-drama pour, you'll find it — just don't come expecting discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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