Fifty-Two Pours and Monday Is Your Friend
North / Kenwood area · Cincinnati · New American / Grill & Wine Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 5, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Seasons 52 - Cincinnati’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walk in and the wine list hits like a greatest-hits album — you've heard all the tracks before, but they're played competently and the room looks the part. Fifty-two by-the-glass options is the whole brand identity here, and it's genuinely impressive in scale even if it skews heavily commercial. This is a chain that takes wine more seriously than most chains, which sets the bar correctly.
California dominates, as you'd expect — Rombauer Chardonnay and Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches are reliable anchors for the crowd that knows what they like, and Jordan Cab is there for the person who wants to feel like they made a sophisticated choice. France, Italy, Argentina, and Washington round out the map, but don't come here hunting for a Jura oddity or a grower Champagne — the list is built to comfort, not challenge. The 100-130 bottle range sounds deep until you realize a meaningful portion of those slots are occupied by recognizable brand names rather than anything with a story. What you lose in discovery you gain in consistency: the producers listed are at least reliably made.
Fifty-two pours by the glass is the headline and honestly it delivers — that's a genuinely wide net for a sit-down restaurant, and it means most people at the table can find something that fits without defaulting to beer. The tradeoff is that the selections trend toward safe, recognizable labels like Meiomi Pinot Noir rather than anything that'll make you pause and think. Rotation ties to the seasonal menu concept, so the list does move — just not always in surprising directions.
Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay — null
On a Monday half-price bottle night, this one earns its keep. Russian River Ranches is a legitimate, well-made Chardonnay with real terroir behind it — not just a label play. Getting it at half price turns a steep markup into something that actually feels fair.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon
Jordan gets overlooked because it's been around forever and feels like your dad's wine — but that reputation obscures the fact that it's genuinely well-crafted, consistently age-worthy Alexander Valley Cab. Most people ordering it here don't know what they have; most people skipping it are wrong.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
Meiomi is a Constellation Brands production wine built for volume and sweetness, not Pinot Noir character. At chain restaurant markup it's overpriced for what it is, and there are better pours on this same list for the same money or less.
Rombauer Chardonnay + Wood-Grilled Fish
Rombauer's buttery, oak-forward profile is almost engineered for wood-grilled seafood — the char on the fish softens the wine's vanilla notes and the richness of both plays to the crowd without anyone having to think too hard. It's not a surprise pairing, but it works every time.
Monday — 50% off select bottles of wine every Monday. Typically applies to bottles under a certain price threshold; luxury and reserve labels are generally excluded. Confirm with your server on arrival.
The Bottom Line
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.
· Cincinnati · Contemporary American Steakhouse
Eddie Merlot's is a reliable performer in a genre that doesn't reward risk-taking — you'll eat well, drink acceptably, and pay steakhouse prices for both. If you're after a wine list that surprises or challenges you, this isn't your room. But if you need somewhere that delivers a respectable bottle alongside a serious filet, this gets the job done without embarrassing you at the table.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Montgomery · Cincinnati · American
A winery-restaurant list where nearly every wine is posted with a glass and a bottle price, from $9.50 to $25.00 a glass. Start with the Cooper's Hawk Lux Cabernet Sauvignon, which the menu lists beside the red wine braised short ribs, or the Cooper's Hawk Red at $10.75 a glass, and try the CHMX from Baja, Mexico on a weekday at the $8 Wine O'Clock price. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups, so confirm availability.
Covington · Cincinnati · Farm-to-Table Bistro
A bistro wine list with a compact glass tab and a regional bottle tab that runs from 42 to 310. Start with the Conquilla cava or the Voliero sangiovese by the glass, or the Thymiopoulos xinomavro at $50 if you want a bottle, and confirm prices because the menu is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks list, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Cincinnati · Wood-Fired American
A French-led bottle list with a glass page that starts at $17 and a Coravin page for smaller pours. Order the Domaine Brun-Avril Côtes-du-Rhône at $20 a glass, or try the Château de Plaisance Anjou Blanc by the pour, and confirm vintages since the book says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks selection, not service, storage or markups.
Newport · Cincinnati · Farm-to-table (Italian, French, American)
A tasting-menu room with a wine book that runs from Burgundy to Tuscany and a short, specific beverage sheet. Start with the $15 Delalle sparkling Chenin Blanc, or look at the $48 Rocca del Principe Fiano if you want a bottle, and confirm what is available since neither list is dated. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks lists, not service, storage or markups.
Lytle Park · Cincinnati · Italian
A broad Italian-and-Napa list, with every glass pour labeled by size. Start with the Santa Cristina Cabernet Sauvignon (6oz 12) or the Ohio-made Carlotta red blend (43), and confirm what is pouring, since the list carries no date. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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