Salazar
Downtown Cincinnati's Old World Sneak Attack
Downtown · Cincinnati · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 28, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
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.
Selection Deep Dive
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.
By the Glass
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.
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