Art Hotel Wine List That Actually Earns It
Bentonville · Fayetteville · Contemporary American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 12, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Hive at 21c’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You're in Bentonville, Arkansas — a town better known for Walmart HQ and mountain bikes than serious wine culture — and then the list lands on the table and you do a double take. Radikon. Testalonga. Hirsch. This isn't a hotel restaurant phoning it in; someone who actually cares about wine built this list.
The list punches well above its zip code. California anchors the selection, but not the predictable stuff — Broc Cellars and Scholium Project signal that whoever is curating this has opinions. Alsace gets a nod via Domaine Weinbach Riesling, Friuli shows up with Radikon's oxidative, skin-contact whites, and South Africa's Testalonga El Bandito makes an appearance that would earn respect at any natural wine bar in Brooklyn. The Burgundy and Pacific Northwest sections round things out, with Hirsch Vineyard representing the Sonoma Coast at its most serious. The gaps are mostly in the Southern Hemisphere outside South Africa, and Germany beyond Alsace-adjacent picks, but at 100-200 labels, there's enough here to reward the curious diner on multiple visits.
With 15-25 pours available, the by-the-glass program is one of the stronger ones in the region — and critically, it doesn't just default to crowd-pleasing Cabernet and Pinot Grigio. If Radikon or Testalonga makes it onto the glass pour rotation, grab it immediately. The sommelier on staff means the pours are likely being managed with some care for freshness, which matters more than most people realize.
Far Niente Chardonnay Napa Valley 2022 — $80
At 23% over retail, this is the least-marked-up bottle on the list by a country mile. Far Niente Chardonnay retails around $65 and drinks like a $100 bottle — rich, precise, worth every dollar here when everything else on the list is marked up 67-130%.
Testalonga El Bandito
Most tables in a hotel restaurant in Arkansas are not ordering skin-contact Chenin Blanc from South Africa. That's exactly why you should. Craig Hawkins makes some of the most alive, funky-in-the-best-way natural wines on the planet, and finding El Bandito on any list outside a major city is a small miracle.
Les Jamelles Sauvignon Blanc Languedoc 2022
A $13 retail bottle priced at $30 is a 131% markup on a wine that isn't doing anything interesting to begin with. It's the list's filler pick — fine in a grocery store, not worth the price here when there are so many more compelling options within reach.
Domaine Weinbach Riesling + Smoked Fish
Weinbach's Alsatian Riesling brings enough acidity and stone-fruit tension to cut through the fat in the smoked fish while echoing its savory, slightly funky character. It's a classic match that doesn't feel obvious on this menu — exactly the kind of call a good sommelier would make.
🎲 The Bottom Line
The Hive is the kind of wine list you don't expect to exist in Northwest Arkansas, and that surprise is the whole point — this is a Wild Card in the best sense. The markups on the entry-level stuff are frustrating, but trade up to the interesting bottles and you'll drink better here than at most restaurants in cities that think they're doing wine.
Uptown / Steele Crossing · Fayetteville · Upscale casual seafood and American grill
Bonefish Grill in Fayetteville is a perfectly competent chain wine experience — you won't be offended, but you won't be excited either. If you're here for the seafood and just want something cold and reasonable in your glass, it gets the job done; just don't expect the wine list to be the reason you come back.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North College Avenue · Fayetteville · Steakhouse / American
Texas Roadhouse is a perfectly fine place to eat a steak and drink a beer or a frozen margarita — that is what it was built for. The wine list is an afterthought bolted onto a concept that does not need it, and you should treat it accordingly.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North College Avenue · Fayetteville · Italian / Pizzeria
Bocca isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes no pretense otherwise — but it's priced fairly, it's Italian through and through, and it does exactly what a neighborhood pizzeria wine list should do. Send your friends here for dinner, not for a wine education.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Dickson Street · Fayetteville · Lounge / Wine & Cocktail Bar
Theo's is the rare Fayetteville spot where you can order wine without second-guessing yourself — the list is small, honest, and fairly priced for what it is. Send your friends here for a date night; just don't expect them to come back with a wine education.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North College Avenue · Fayetteville · Modern Ozark / Contemporary American
Mockingbird Kitchen is a reliable neighborhood dinner spot where the wine list does its job without embarrassing anyone. Come for the food, drink what's in front of you, and don't expect a revelation in the glass.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East of Fayetteville · Fayetteville · Winery / Event Venue
Sassafras Springs is not a destination for serious wine hunters, but it's absolutely a destination — a genuinely pleasant Arkansas vineyard making real wines at real prices in a setting that earns its reputation. Send your friends out on a Wednesday and tell them to order the Syrah.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Presidio/Arts District · Santa Barbara · Contemporary American
Wine Cask is the rare restaurant where the wine list is the main event and the kitchen still holds its own. If you're in Santa Barbara and you care even a little about what's in your glass, this is where you eat.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Royal Palm Place / Downtown · Boca Raton · Contemporary American
TwentyTwenty Grille isn't trying to be a wine destination, but its dessert program alone is worth the detour, and the everyday list is honest and fairly priced. Send a friend here if they appreciate a curated experience over an encyclopedic list — just steer them toward the Riesling and tell them to save room for Port.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Santa Clara · St. George · Contemporary American
Rylu's is the kind of wine list that only exists because someone in that kitchen actually cares — a Moschofilero and a Kermit Lynch Rhône don't end up in Southern Utah by accident. It's not deep, it's not flashy, but for a reservation-only bistro in St. George, it earns a genuine recommendation.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.