A Thousand Bottles Under the Streets of Ann Arbor
Downtown · Ann Arbor · French and Italian Country Cuisine · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 4, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Earle Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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You walk into a candlelit basement, live jazz floating through the air, and someone hands you a wine list that weighs more than your entree. The Earle has been quietly doing this for decades, and the list — somewhere north of 1,000 bottles — makes it immediately clear this is not your average Ann Arbor night out. This is the kind of place where you feel slightly underdressed no matter what you wore.
The depth here is legitimately impressive for a mid-sized Midwest city: Bordeaux and Rhône anchor the French side, while Piedmont and Tuscany do the heavy lifting for Italy — and both sections show real range beyond the obvious names. California gets its due without dominating, and there are genuine surprises scattered throughout, including Galician whites like the Coto de Gomariz Ribeiro and Sherry-adjacent pours from Gutiérrez Colosía that signal someone with actual curiosity assembled this list. Gaps exist — there's not much in the way of natural wine or anything from the southern hemisphere — but at 1,000-plus selections, you'd have to try hard to leave unsatisfied. The list rewards slow reading; don't let the waiter rush you.
Glass pour options aren't fully published, but pricing in the $12–$20 range suggests a modest but decent by-the-glass program that skews toward the approachable end of the list. For a cellar this deep, we'd love to see more ambitious pours by the glass — a Rhône rotating in, a Barolo village wine, something that gives a taste of what the bottle list can do. It's not a by-the-glass destination, but it gets the job done.
Coto de Gomariz Ribeiro — $40–$60
Galician whites are chronically underpriced relative to their quality, and Coto de Gomariz is one of the region's benchmark producers. In a list full of French and Italian heavy-hitters, this bottle likely doesn't carry the same premium markup — and it's exactly the kind of crisp, mineral-driven white that sings next to The Earle's lighter pasta and seafood dishes.
Gutiérrez Colosía Sherry
Most people skip anything labeled Sherry on a restaurant list without a second glance, which is a shame — and which is probably why it's here at a fair price. Gutiérrez Colosía is a serious Jerez producer, and a fino or amontillado from them is one of the most food-friendly, complex pours you can get for the money. Order it with the calamari and feel smug about it.
California Cabernet Sauvignon
Without knowing exact bottles or prices, the California section on a list like this tends to be where the safe, high-margin crowd-pleasers live — brands people recognize but don't need to order here. You came to a room with 1,000 bottles and a sommelier; you can do better than a Napa Cab you've seen at every steakhouse in America.
Coto de Gomariz Ribeiro + Risotto Balls
The Ribeiro's bright acidity and subtle salinity cut right through the richness of fried risotto, while its lean, stony character keeps the pairing from feeling heavy. It's the kind of combination that makes a starter feel like the whole point of the meal.
The Bottom Line
The Earle is the real deal — a deep, well-curated cellar in a genuinely romantic setting, staffed by people who actually know what's in it. If you're anywhere near Ann Arbor and care about wine, this is not optional.
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Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
West Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor · Upscale-casual Italian
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Downtown · Ann Arbor · American Gastropub
The Ravens Club isn't a wine destination — it's a late-night Ann Arbor institution that happens to have a functional wine list. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Gruet for $6, and let the spirits program do its real job.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
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Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Ann Arbor · Korean BBQ
Tomukun is a great place to eat Korean BBQ and drink soju with friends — the wine list is just not the reason to come here. Order the Riesling if you must, or do yourself a favor and let the soju do the work.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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