Bentonville's Italian Bubbly Obsession Hits Different
Downtown / Central Ave · Bentonville · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed July 18, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Sestina Bentonville’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Sestina's wine list, the first thing you notice is the sparkling-heavy opener — this place has a thing for bubbles, and they're not shy about it. Twenty-six labels isn't a lot to work with, but whoever built this list clearly had a point of view. It skews Italian with purpose, and that alone puts it ahead of most upscale spots in Arkansas.
The list is structured around sparkling, rosé, Italian whites, and a handful of worldly whites — and it holds together surprisingly well for its size. The sparkling section alone spans Prosecco (Jeio by Bisol, Nino Franco Rustico), Franciacorta (Ca' del Bosco Cuvée Prestige), Champagne (Veuve, Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blanc, Laurent-Perrier Rosé), and California (Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc 2022 and the serious J. Schram Brut Noir 2015). On the white side, they're leaning into Italian grapes that most Bentonville diners won't recognize — Falanghina from Feudi di San Gregorio, Arneis from Cerreto, Etna Bianco from Terre dei Miti — which is either gutsy or foolish depending on whether the staff can sell them. The gap here is red wine: we don't see any reds on the current list beyond the Lambrusco, which is a notable omission for an Italian restaurant.
By-the-glass details aren't publicly listed, which is a miss — a list this small lives or dies by its pour program. If they're rotating even four or five of these through the glass, the Falanghina and Nino Franco Rustico would be standout options worth asking about. We'd push the staff to tell you what's open before committing to a bottle.
Nino Franco Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut 'Rustico' — $47
Nino Franco is one of the benchmark names in Prosecco Superiore — this isn't your grocery store Prosecco. At the low end of the bottle list, it's the clearest value on the menu and a smart opener for the table.
Terre dei Miti Etna Bianco 2022
Etna Bianco from the volcanic slopes of Sicily is one of the most compelling white wine stories in Italy right now — mineral, tense, and unlike anything else on this list. Most diners will scroll past it. Don't.
Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Champagne
Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label is a fine bottle, but it's also one of the most marked-up Champagnes in the restaurant industry. On a list with Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blanc and Laurent-Perrier Rosé available, there's almost no reason to default to the airport terminal pick.
Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina 2022 + Fresh pasta with seafood or light cream sauce
Falanghina is a Southern Italian white with bright acidity and a slightly herbal, citrusy edge — it cuts through richness and echoes the coastal Italian flavors that likely anchor this menu. It's the kind of pairing that makes the food taste better and the wine taste smarter.
The Bottom Line
Sestina is doing something genuinely interesting for Bentonville — an Italian-focused, bubble-forward list with real producers and regional ambition tucked into a small but considered 26-bottle program. The red wine gap and unknown by-the-glass program hold it back from greatness, but if you're in Northwest Arkansas and want to drink better than average, this is the spot.
· Bentonville · Brazilian steakhouse
If you're coming to Texas de Brazil Bentonville for wine, recalibrate your expectations before you walk in. Three labels — two of which are bubbles — is not a wine program, it's a placeholder. Order the Cristal if you're celebrating something and don't mind the price, otherwise stick to whatever cocktails they're pouring and save your wine night for somewhere that's actually thought about it.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bentonville · Champagne & wine bar
Muselet is a genuine anomaly — a focused, knowledgeable Champagne bar in northwest Arkansas with grower producers, subregion organization, and pricing that doesn't punish you for caring about wine. If you're anywhere near Bentonville, this is the stop. If you're not near Bentonville, it might be worth reconsidering your route.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bentonville · Cafe & Wine Bar
The Meteor is exactly the kind of wine-forward wild card that Bentonville didn't know it needed — it's not trying to be a serious wine destination, but it's trying harder than most places its size, and that counts for something. Send a friend here for a casual glass before dinner, not for a deep-dive cellar experience.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bentonville · New American / Seasonal
Conifer is doing something genuinely unusual for Arkansas: a tightly curated, white-wine-forward list with real range and fair pricing. If you're used to restaurants treating wine as an afterthought, this one will catch you off guard in the best way.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bentonville · New American / Wine Bar
Bar Cleeta is the kind of wine bar that shouldn't exist in Bentonville, Arkansas — and yet here it is, pouring Silvaner and Catarratto by the glass at prices that don't insult you. Send your adventurous friends here without hesitation.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bentonville · New American
The Hive is doing more with a wine list than most restaurants in markets twice the size of Bentonville — fair prices, genuine range, and a Champagne section that earns respect. If you're in NW Arkansas and care about what's in your glass, this is your spot.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
SoHo · New York · Italian
A long bottle list with Italian, Burgundy and Champagne sections, fronted by a 22-wine glass page. For a glass, try the Skerk Orange Wine from Friuli at 25/95, and for a bottle on a lighter budget, the Volpaia Vermentino at 60; upstairs in the café, the labeled list pours Palistorti di Valgiano's orange Tuscan blend at Glass $22. Confirm prices before you order, because the site's Upstairs Café dinner menu and the beverage PDF do not match. This unrated guide covers the posted wine lists, not service, storage or markups.
Locust Point · Baltimore · Italian
An Italian list that leads with Campania, then works region by region through the rest of Italy. Start with the La Passera Greco di Tufo at 50 for white or the Terredora Aglianico at 48 for red, and if you want Chianti, the Banfi Riserva is 45. Prices come from the wine list linked as "Wine List 24" and post no unit, so confirm what is available. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
· Naperville · Italian
Piccolo Buco is a Cooper's Hawk restaurant wearing Italian clothes, and the wine list makes no attempt to hide that. If you're already a Cooper's Hawk member and enjoy their wines, this is a comfortable, predictable experience with fair glass pricing and decent variety within the brand. If you came hoping for a Sicilian white or a Piedmontese red to go with your pasta, you're in the wrong place — order a cocktail.
Grocery Store
Fair
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.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
