Missouri Meets the World, Surprisingly Well
Downtown Columbia · Columbia · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 4, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Sycamore Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Thirteen labels sounds like a liability, but Sycamore makes every one count. There's a local Missouri wine sitting next to Billecart-Salmon and a Bierzo Mencía — this is a list with a point of view. Someone here actually cares, and that changes everything.
The list punches well above its size by threading together old-world classics (Gobelsburg Grüner, Raimund Prüm Riesling, Domaine la Manarine Côtes du Rhône) with genuinely interesting outliers like Raul Perez's Ultreia Mencía from Bierzo — a wine that most restaurants in a mid-sized Midwestern city wouldn't dare put on the menu. The nod to Les Bourgeois Vineyards Chardonel is a smart local play and shows some regional pride. California gets its token spot via Paul Hobbs Crossbarn Cab, which is solid if not exciting. The gaps are real — no Pinot Noir outside the rosé, no Italian red to speak of — but for a 13-bottle list, the hits-to-misses ratio is remarkable.
Nine of thirteen bottles poured by the glass is an unusually generous ratio and means you can actually explore this list without committing to a full bottle. Glass prices run $7 to $15, which is honest money for this market. Wednesday's half-price bottle program turns an already reasonable list into a genuine destination night.
Domaine la Manarine Côtes du Rhône 2023 — $X/bottle
Southern Rhône at a Columbia, Missouri price point — Grenache-driven, food-friendly, and exactly the kind of wine that overdelivers when a restaurant actually bothers to stock it. Pair it with anything savory on the menu and stop second-guessing yourself.
Raul Perez Saint Jacques 'Ultreia' Mencía 2021
Raul Perez is one of Spain's most exciting producers and Bierzo Mencía is wildly underrated — earthy, dark-fruited, and completely unlike anything else on this list. Most tables will walk right past it for the Cabernet. Don't be those people.
Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve NV
At $70 a bottle, the Billecart is priced at the high end of what this list offers, and while it's a legitimate Champagne house, you're paying a premium for a name that travels well. Save the splurge for Wednesday when it drops to $35, or redirect the budget toward two bottles of something more interesting.
Gobelsburg Grüner Veltliner 2024 + House-made pasta
Kamptal Grüner has that signature white pepper snap and bright acidity that cuts through rich pasta without overwhelming it. It's the kind of pairing that feels effortless — the wine cleans the palate, the pasta earns the next sip.
Wednesday — All bottles half price on Wednesdays
The Bottom Line
Sycamore is doing something genuinely unusual in Columbia: running a tight, thoughtful wine list with real producers and fair prices, backed by someone on staff who knows what they're talking about. Come on a Wednesday and it's a no-brainer.
Downtown · Columbia · Wine Bar & Bistro
Cherry Street Cellar is doing something genuinely uncommon for Columbia — an Old World-focused wine program in a space that actually feels like it belongs in a bigger city. We'd send a curious friend here on a Tuesday at 5:59 p.m. without hesitation.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown / Alley A · Columbia · European beer garden and café
Günter Hans is a fantastic spot for beer, waffles, and atmosphere — the wine list is an afterthought wearing a Canyon Road uniform. Order a craft beer, enjoy every minute of the pretzel, and come back when they decide wine deserves the same love as everything else on the menu.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Near Campus · Columbia · American Sports Bar
Campus Bar & Grill is a great place to watch a Mizzou game and drink a beer — and that's exactly what you should do. The wine program is an afterthought from a restaurant that has no interest in wine, and we respect the honesty of that even as we wave you toward the tap list.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Columbia · Contemporary American
Bleu is the kind of wine list that works well if you already know what you want and want it done properly. It's not pushing any boundaries, the markups are on the steeper side, and there's no real discovery to be had — but for a night out in Columbia, it's a solid, well-stocked option that won't let you down.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Columbia · Columbia · Upscale globally influenced cuisine with Italian-inspired fare, seafood, pasta, steak, and gourmet pizzas
Sophia's is doing more with wine than almost anywhere else in Columbia, and we'd happily send a friend here — with a warning to navigate carefully around the commodity wines and go straight for the reserve list. The ambition is real; the markup discipline just hasn't caught up yet.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Forum Boulevard / south Columbia · Columbia · American and international; steak and seafood-focused
Chris McD's is doing more with wine than almost any restaurant in Columbia — 35 by-the-glass pours and some genuinely interesting cellar selections earn it real credibility. Markups run steep and the list leans heavily on California safe bets, but as a neighborhood wine bar that also happens to serve a good steak, it punches above its weight class.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· Aurora · New American
The Common Good is doing more with its wine list than its Aurora zip code might suggest — 73 labels, a thoughtful Chardonnay section spanning California to Western Australia, and 24 pours by the glass gives you real options. Markup runs a bit steep across the board, and we don't have enough intel on staff knowledge or red selections to call this anything more than a reliable neighborhood overachiever. If you care about wine and you're eating in Aurora, this is the room.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Smyrna · Atlanta · New American
Muss & Turner's isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — and that honesty is oddly refreshing. If you're in Smyrna on a Tuesday, the reported wine-focused night is reason enough to show up early, grab a seat, and let the shrimp and grits do the heavy lifting while you figure out what's on the list.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· Atlanta · New American
Soho's wine list is built for people who already know what they like — California reds, recognizable labels, no curveballs. The markup is real (Faust at $132/bottle and Moët at $138 are tough to justify), but the by-the-glass depth gives you flexibility to stay in a reasonable range. If you're here for the food and want a no-drama pour, you'll find it — just don't come expecting discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
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.
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