California Chardonnay Country, Iowa Edition
Des Moines · Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 14, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Splash Seafood Bar & Grill’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Splash reads like a California greatest hits album — familiar labels, seafood-friendly whites up front, and enough recognizable names to keep the table happy without anyone breaking a sweat. It's not trying to challenge you, and that's fine. In Des Moines, a 100-plus-bottle list anchored by legit producers is a genuine win.
California dominates from the first page to the last, with Chardonnay clearly running the show — Sonoma-Cutrer, Rombauer, Jordan, Cakebread, Far Niente, they're all here. The list earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and has held it since 2018, which speaks to consistency if not adventurousness. You won't find much outside the Golden State — no stray Burgundies, no Albariño sneaking in to make things interesting — but what's here is well-chosen and actually suits the menu. Pinot Noir gets a nod via Meiomi, and Duckhorn's Sauvignon Blanc covers the crisp-and-coastal angle nicely.
With 12-20 pours running $9-$16, the by-the-glass program is solid for a seafood spot of this size. You're not going to find esoteric options or rotating guest pours, but the range covers whites for the shellfish crowd and a red or two for the steak-adjacent table. At $16 a glass, you're not being gouged for a recognizable name.
Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc — $35
Duckhorn's Napa Sauvignon Blanc is genuinely good wine from a house that could coast on its Merlot reputation but doesn't. At the low end of this list's price range, it's the smart order for a table splitting oysters or ceviche.
Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay
Everyone reaches for Rombauer or Far Niente because the names are flashier, but Sonoma-Cutrer's Russian River Ranches bottling is consistently one of California's best-value serious Chardonnays — leaner, more precise, and better with actual food than the butter-bomb alternatives on this list.
Rombauer Chardonnay
Look, Rombauer is fine. But at restaurant markup it's almost always a bad deal — you're paying a premium for a label that's become a cultural shorthand rather than a wine worth seeking out. If you want something rich and oaky, Far Niente does it with more substance.
Jordan Chardonnay + Miso Salmon
Jordan's Alexander Valley Chardonnay has enough weight to stand up to the richness of miso glaze without overwhelming the fish. It's got a subtle creaminess that echoes the dish without turning the whole thing into a butter competition.
The Bottom Line
Splash isn't trying to reinvent wine in the Midwest — it's a polished, California-forward list that does exactly what it needs to do for a seafood restaurant with real ambitions. Send a friend here if they want a reliable bottle with their lobster mac; just don't send the natural wine obsessive.
Downtown Des Moines · Des Moines · American, Regional
Proudfoot & Bird is the kind of place where the room earns a star the wine list can't quite match — solid enough for a business dinner or a date night in a stunning space, but don't come expecting to find something you've never heard of. If you're in Des Moines and want a dependable glass in a beautiful room, it works.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Johnston · Des Moines · Wine bar / American
Louie's Johnston is exactly what a suburban wine bar should be — a big by-the-glass list, fair prices, and zero pretension. Send your friends here when they want to drink well without a side of attitude.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Clive · Des Moines · Steakhouse & American
Club Car is a reliable steakhouse wine list doing exactly what it was built to do: keep Cab drinkers happy and nobody walking out complaining. Don't come here for discovery, but don't leave without ordering the Jordan.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waukee · Des Moines · Japanese / Asian Fusion / Sushi
Wasabi Waukee is a genuinely good sushi restaurant that treats its wine list like an afterthought — familiar names, steep markups, and zero curiosity about what wines might actually sing alongside the food. Order the cocktails or sake instead, and save the wine discussion for somewhere that cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Ingersoll / Grand · Des Moines · Contemporary American
Louie's Wine Dive is the kind of place Des Moines needs more of — a real wine program in a no-pretense room, with Tuesday half-price deals that make experimenting genuinely low-stakes. It's not a destination list, but it's absolutely a destination night.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Clive · Des Moines · American, Brewpub
Granite City is a brewery that tolerates wine, and the list reflects that perfectly. Drink the beer — it's the whole point of being here.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Flowery Branch · Seafood
Fish Tales is on Lake Lanier, which should be a natural setting for a thoughtful selection of cold, crisp whites. Instead, the wine program is a single bottle of heavily buttered California Chardonnay. We'd recommend sticking to whatever's on tap and revisiting the wine situation if anything changes.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Perimeter Center · Dunwoody · Seafood
Louisiana Bistreaux is genuinely worth visiting for the food — the seafood is the draw, full stop. But if wine is part of your evening, don't come here expecting the list to match the kitchen's ambition. Order the crawfish ravioli, get a cocktail or a cold beer, and save the wine exploration for somewhere that's put in the work.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Cartersville · Seafood
Maine Street Coastal Cuisine is a seafood spot that doesn't take wine seriously, and the five-label, all-$7, no-producer list makes that clear without apology. If you're here for the food, drink the cocktails or crack a beer — the wine list isn't worth the conversation.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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