Tavola Trattoria

Table at the Station is a Wild Card because no one expects a Sancerre and a Zuccardi Malbec at a Bentonville burger café — and yet here we are. It's not a wine destination, but it's a wine list that clearly has a pulse, and that's worth celebrating.

Undercroft is a cocktail bar first, no question — but if you're sitting in that basement and want wine, you're in better hands than you'd guess. The list is short, the markup stings a little, and it's not a destination wine stop, but as a Wild Card in a city not known for adventurous pours, it earns the visit.

Junto is doing something genuinely unexpected — building a thoughtful, globally-minded wine list inside a downtown sushi spot in Bentonville. Markups aren't doing you any favors, but the selection earns real respect, and the Riesling-with-sushi angle alone is worth the visit.

River Grille is a solid place to eat a steak in Bentonville, but the wine program — at least what we can verify — stops at dessert and Port while the main event stays in the dark. Order a cocktail with dinner and, if you must, grab a glass of Tawny at the end.

Table Mesa isn't a wine destination, but it's punching well above its weight for a casual Latin bistro in downtown Bentonville. If you're here for dinner, skip the predictable picks and dig into the Oregon Pinots or that lonely Riesling — you'll be glad you did.

The Preacher's Son is the best wine list in Northwest Arkansas by a comfortable margin, and it would be a respectable list in most major cities. The markup keeps it from sainthood, but if you're eating here, you're already spending money — lean into the Rioja or the Rhône blanc and don't look back.