Downtown Asheville's Quietly Serious Wine Program
Downtown Asheville · Asheville · Farm to Table · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 28, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Blackbird’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The Blackbird's wine list opens with intention — this is not an afterthought tucked behind the cocktail page. At 150-plus bottles anchored in California, France, and Italy, it reads like a list curated by someone who actually drinks wine. The Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator, held since 2018, is well-earned here.
California, France, and Italy form the backbone, and the heavyweights are present and accounted for: Kistler Chardonnay, Gaja Barbaresco, Antinori Tignanello, and Chateau Pontet-Canet for the Bordeaux faithful. Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel and Duckhorn Merlot round out a California section that covers both the serious collector and the casual drinker without pandering to either. Domaine Drouhin Oregon sneaks in a Pacific Northwest nod, which is a smart and honest addition given how well Oregon Pinot plays with the farm-to-table format here. The list doesn't push into deep-cellar territory or natural wine experimentation, but what it does, it does with conviction.
Twelve to twenty options by the glass is a strong program for a restaurant of this size — enough to stay interesting without becoming unmanageable. Prices in the $12-$18 range are fair for Asheville, and the range likely mirrors the bottle list's California-France-Italy axis. We'd like to see more rotation to keep regulars guessing, but what's here is reliably drinkable.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir — $40s (estimated bottle entry)
Drouhin's Oregon Pinot punches well above typical restaurant markup — elegant, food-friendly, and a natural fit alongside the farm-to-table menu. It's the bottle we'd reach for first.
Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel
Most guests are eyeing the Burgundy or the Bordeaux, and Ridge gets overlooked. That's a mistake. Ridge makes Zinfandel with real structure and age-worthiness — this is not a fruit bomb, it's a serious wine at a friendlier price point than half the list.
Antinori Tignanello
Tignanello is a great wine, but it's also one of the most recognizable and widely distributed Super Tuscans on the market. At restaurant markup, you're paying a premium for a label you could find at any decent wine shop. Save it for a night when someone else is buying.
Louis Jadot Burgundy + Goat Cheese
A well-chosen Jadot Burgundy — earthy, bright with red fruit, and not too heavy — plays right into the tangy creaminess of the goat cheese preparation. It's the kind of pairing that makes you slow down and actually notice what's in your glass.
✔️ The Bottom Line
The Blackbird is doing wine right in a town that's more known for craft beer — there's a real sommelier (Sarah Reder) behind this list and it shows. Send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation.
Asheville · Asheville · American
Vue 1913 is a reliable wine destination for guests who know what they like and want to drink it with a jaw-dropping view — just don't expect the list to push you anywhere new. Send your California Cab-loving friends here without hesitation; send your natural wine friends somewhere else.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Grove Park · Asheville · Regional
Sunset Terrace isn't a wine destination — it's a destination where wine happens to be available and handled competently. Come for the mountains and the steak, order the Ridge or the Sonoma-Cutrer, and enjoy the fact that at least nobody's pouring you something terrible.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
West Asheville · Asheville · American, Farm to Table
Jargon is doing something real with wine in a neighborhood that doesn't demand it, and that's exactly why it deserves your attention. Send a friend here — just tell them to skip the Napa Cab and ask about the Minervois.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Asheville · Asheville · American
The Dining Room is genuinely worth the trip, and not just because of the mansion backdrop — the sommelier team is real, the cellar is serious, and Wednesday half-price wine night turns a splurge into a steal. Markups on the prestige bottles are steep, but the overall program earns its Best of Award of Excellence.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Asheville · Asheville · Middle Eastern
Jerusalem Garden Cafe does Middle Eastern food well, but the wine program is non-existent. Stick to the Turkish coffee or mint tea and save your wine budget for literally anywhere else in Asheville.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Red Flag
MIA
Set & Forget
Hot Mess
Downtown · Asheville · Southern
Husk isn't trying to be a wine destination, and that's fine—it's a solid supporting cast to excellent Southern cooking. The list is fair, approachable, and won't leave you feeling gouged or bored.
Solid Range
Fair
Stemless Casual
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Delafield · Delafield · Farm to Table
I.d. is a comfortable, well-credentialed choice for wine in the Delafield area — the Wine Spectator recognition is earned and the list does its job without embarrassing anyone. Just don't come here looking to be challenged; come here looking to drink something familiar and good with a solid farm-to-table meal.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Chetek · Chetek · Farm to Table
A remote Wisconsin retreat with a Wine Spectator credential, an on-staff wine pro, and a focused California list is exactly the kind of unexpected find we love flagging. If you're making the trip to Canoe Bay — and it's worth making — the wine program won't let you down.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Delavan · Delavan · Farm to Table
Opus is the wine overachiever in a room that wasn't expecting one — a thoughtfully curated list in a historic Wisconsin inn that earns its Wine Spectator badge without relying on it as a crutch. If you're driving out to Delavan for a tasting menu, the wine list is a genuine reason to stay the full night.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
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