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 →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
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.
· 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
Hyde Park · Cincinnati · Italian (housemade pasta, wood-fired pizza)
Forno Hyde Park is a reliable neighborhood wine program that doesn't embarrass itself — solid Italian range, reasonable glass pours, and a Wood-Down Wednesday deal that genuinely changes the math on the better bottles. The markups on everyday bottles are hard to ignore, but if you time it right and order smart, there's a real dinner here.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
· Jersey City · New American
Mathews isn't a destination wine list, but it's honest, fairly priced, and more thoughtful than it looks at first glance. Send a friend here if they want a good glass without a lecture.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Western Addition · San Francisco · New American
Progress isn't trying to be the biggest wine list in San Francisco — it's trying to be the most interesting one, and it largely succeeds. If you want Napa Cab and familiar labels, go somewhere else; if you want to drink Grignolino and Furmint with dinner and feel genuinely good about the prices, this is your room.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· San Diego · New American
Paradisaea's wine list punches well above what you'd expect from a San Diego New American — eclectic without being pretentious, fairly priced without being cheap. We'd send a wine-curious friend here and tell them to skip the obvious bottles and dig into the Italian section.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
