Nebraska's Most Serious Wine List, Full Stop
Lincoln · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 17, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Green Gâteau’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into a European-inspired bistro in Lincoln, Nebraska and finding a Wine Spectator-recognized list isn't something you expect — but here we are. The list reads like someone actually thought about it: California and France front and center, priced in a range that doesn't make you wince. It's not trying to be a wine bar, but it's clearly not treating wine as an afterthought either.
The list runs 100-150 bottles with California and France doing the heavy lifting, which is exactly what a room full of filet mignon and duck breast needs. On the Napa side, you've got Jordan and Stag's Leap Cabernet doing reliable work; on the Sonoma Chardonnay front, Rombauer and Far Niente show up as the crowd-pleasing anchors. France gets a solid showing too — Louis Jadot and Bouchard Père & Fils cover Burgundy, while Château Meyney and Château Lynch-Bages bring some Bordeaux credibility. The list doesn't stray far from the classics, which is a choice — a safe one, but not a lazy one.
With 12-20 pours landing between $10-$18, the by-the-glass program is genuinely usable — you can work through a meal without committing to a bottle and still drink something worth talking about. The range likely mirrors the bottle list's California-France axis, which means solid if familiar options. No evidence of active rotation or a rotating spotlight pour, which is the one thing keeping this from being a standout glass program.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley — $35–$50 estimated
Jordan is a name people recognize and trust, and at the lower end of this list's price range it represents a genuinely fair deal on a wine that punches above its retail tier in the glass. Order it with the filet and don't overthink it.
Château Meyney, Saint-Estèphe
Most tables at a place like this will reach for the Napa Cab without even glancing at the Bordeaux section. Meyney is a Saint-Estèphe that consistently overdelivers for its price point — structured, savory, and exactly the kind of wine that makes duck breast sing.
Rombauer Chardonnay, Carneros
Rombauer is a perfectly fine wine that has somehow become the default 'nice Chardonnay' order at restaurants everywhere, which means it's perpetually marked up to take advantage of name recognition. You can find it cheaper elsewhere, and there are almost certainly better-value whites hiding on this list.
Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac + Filet Mignon
Lynch-Bages is one of Bordeaux's most food-friendly reds — dark fruit, firm tannins, cedar and graphite on the finish. Against a well-seared filet, it does exactly what great Pauillac is supposed to do: both get better.
The Bottom Line
For Lincoln, Nebraska, The Green Gâteau's wine list is legitimately impressive — a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence that feels earned rather than decorative. It's not going to blow the mind of someone flying in from wine country, but it's absolutely worth ordering a bottle and settling in for the evening.
· Lincoln · New American / Wine Bar
Art & Soul is doing something that most restaurants in cities twice Lincoln's size wouldn't attempt: a by-the-glass program anchored by a 1975 Austrian white and a biodynamic Joly Chenin Blanc, at prices that don't make you wince. We don't have enough intel on the food menu or service to give this the full Rager treatment, but if you're in Lincoln and you care about wine, this is the room you want to be in.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lincoln · Steakhouse and Seafood
Wilderness Ridge is the kind of wine list that surprises you — not because it's perfect, but because it's genuinely curious for its genre and geography. The by-the-glass program alone makes it worth exploring, and the pricing doesn't punish you for doing so. If you're in Lincoln and want something interesting in the glass with your steak, this is a safe bet.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lincoln · Italian
Lincoln Ristorante is doing something genuinely unusual: running a wine list in central Nebraska that would hold its own in most major American cities. The Italian focus is deep and well-curated, the by-the-glass program gives you real options, and the pricing — particularly on the reds — is fair enough that you won't feel punished for ordering well. If you're in Lincoln and you care about wine, this is the only room that answers that call.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Cumming, GA · American
The real headline here is Friday: half-price bottles under $250, which is a legitimately good deal in any zip code. Add a sommelier in a neighborhood grill context and Tin Cup earns a look that most Cumming restaurants don't. We'd go in on a Friday, ask for a recommendation, and let the staff do their job — that's what they're there for.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Acceptable
· Wichita · American
Dave & Buster's Wichita is not a wine destination — and the list makes no attempt to pretend otherwise. Fourteen labels of grocery-store standbys, no pricing transparency, and a venue where the primary business is flashing screens and redemption tickets means the wine program is essentially decorative. Order the cocktail, feed the machine, save the bottle for literally anywhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Augusta Road · Greenville · American
A 51-wine list: 20 white and sparkling, 31 red, with 14 wines posted as two-price pairs like 10/40 and the rest at a single price up to 140. Start with the 10/40 Alta Vista Malbec, or the Musset-Roullier Chenin Blanc at 55 if you want the list's only Chenin Blanc, and ask what the pairs mean before you order. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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