SLC's Smartest Bistro Hides a Wine List Worth Finding
Downtown · Salt Lake City · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 1, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into The Copper Onion, you're not expecting much from the wine list — this is a lively, unpretentious bistro with a burger on the menu and a crowd that's here for a good time. But then you clock the Txakoli and an Australian field blend and realize someone back there actually cares. In a state where wine lists tend to read like a hotel minibar, this one punches well above its weight class.
The list is compact but genuinely considered, with Italy and Spain doing the heavy lifting alongside a few well-chosen Australian and California picks. You've got the Bibi Graetz 'Bollamatta' Sparkling Rosé rubbing elbows with the Masseria Li Veli 'Askos' Verdeca and the Astobiza Txakoli — bottles you'd expect to find at a dedicated wine bar, not a neighborhood bistro in downtown SLC. The Bucklin Ancient Field Blend from Sonoma adds a California wildcard, and the Tait 'Ball Buster' Shiraz from South Australia gives it some Southern Hemisphere backbone. Gaps exist — the breadth isn't there for a deep cellar experience — but what's here is chosen with intention, not just filled with safe bets.
Glass pour specifics aren't published, but with a list this focused, we'd expect a rotating handful of options that track with the bottle selections. If the Davide Albariño makes it to the glass program, order it immediately. The lack of a formal by-the-glass breakdown is the one area where the program could sharpen up.
Astobiza Txakoli — null
Txakoli at a New American bistro in Salt Lake City is already a minor miracle. It's brisk, saline, and low-alcohol — perfect for cutting through the richness of the menu — and it's the kind of bottle that costs a fraction of what the more recognizable names on the list will run you.
Masseria Li Veli 'Askos' Verdeca
Verdeca from Puglia is one of those grapes that most diners walk right past because they don't recognize it. That's their loss. It's textural, aromatic, and interesting in ways that Pinot Grigio never will be — and it's exactly the kind of left-field pick that makes this list worth paying attention to.
Tait 'Ball Buster' Shiraz
The name is doing a lot of marketing work here. It's a perfectly fine Australian Shiraz, but it's also the most predictable, crowd-pleasing bottle on a list that otherwise goes out of its way to avoid the obvious. You came to The Copper Onion — don't order the wine equivalent of the house Cab.
Bucklin Ancient Field Blend + Braised Pork Belly with shaved brussels sprouts and pickled celeriac
An old-vine Zinfandel-dominant field blend from Sonoma has enough fruit weight and wild-herb complexity to match the richness of the pork belly, while the acidity in the blend keeps it from going heavy. The pickled celeriac on the plate actually plays off the wine's earthiness in a way that feels intentional.
🎲 The Bottom Line
The Copper Onion is what happens when a kitchen-first restaurant decides to take wine seriously without making a big deal about it — the list is small, smart, and full of bottles you won't find two blocks away. If you're eating in downtown SLC and care about what's in your glass, this is the move.
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Solid Range
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Basic Stemmed
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Basic Stemmed
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Crowd Pleasers
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Basic Stemmed
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Plays It Safe
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
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