Sardine Restaurant
Lakeside French Vibes, Honest Wine Prices
Williamson Street · Madison · French Brasserie · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 29, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Sardine feels exactly like the restaurant itself — unpretentious, French-leaning, and quietly confident. It's not trying to be a wine bar, but it's clearly not phoning it in either. At $35 to start on bottles and $8 a glass, this is a list built for people who actually want to drink wine with dinner, not perform it.
Selection Deep Dive
The 50-to-80-bottle list leans hard into the Old World — France and Spain anchor the program, with Loire and Provence doing most of the heavy lifting on the French side and Castilla y León representing Spain with a Tempranillo Rosado. Italy shows up with Barolo, which is a bold and welcome swing for a bistro this size. The Oregon entry — a 2022 Division Wine Making Co. Freewater Rocks Vineyard from the Rocks District — is the list's most interesting detour, showing someone is paying attention to what's exciting in American wine right now. Gaps exist: no deep dive into Burgundy or Rhône, and New World representation is thin beyond that single Oregon bottle.
By the Glass
The glass program covers the basics — house red, white, and rosé — plus at least a handful of additional pours, with glasses starting at $8. The half-carafe option at $21 is a genuinely good move for two people splitting a meal who don't want a full bottle commitment. Rotation appears limited, but what's there is honest and priced to actually drink.
Half-Carafe (House Wine) — $21
Half a carafe of something decent for $21 at a lakeside bistro is exactly the kind of value that makes a Tuesday dinner feel like a good decision. Split it over moules frites and you're living right.
2022 Division Wine Making Co. Freewater Rocks Vineyard, Rocks District
Most people at Sardine are ordering rosé or whatever the server recommends — this Oregon bottle from one of the more interesting natural-leaning producers in the Pacific Northwest is sitting there quietly. The Rocks District terroir is volcanic and distinctive, and Division's approach to winemaking makes this something worth seeking out on a list that otherwise skews firmly European.
Barolo
Barolo on a bistro list that tops out around 80 bottles is almost always a flag. Without knowing the specific producer or vintage, and given the overall price range here, the markup on a Barolo relative to its actual drinking window and proper storage requirements makes it a risky order. Stick to what the list does with confidence — France and Spain.
Tempranillo Rosado, Castilla y León + Moules frites
A dry Spanish rosé from Castilla y León has enough acid to cut through the briny mussel broth and enough fruit to hold up to a pile of frites. It's the kind of pairing that doesn't need explaining — it just works, and at Sardine's prices, you'll probably order a second glass before the bowl is empty.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Sardine isn't a destination wine list, but it's a genuinely well-considered one for a neighborhood bistro — fair prices, smart regional picks, and a half-carafe option that earns real goodwill. Send your friends here for the moules and tell them to skip the Barolo.
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