Hotel wine done right, especially Wednesdays
Downtown · Madison · American · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed March 30, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into a Kimpton property, you half-expect the wine list to be a corporate afterthought — safe Cabs, token Chardonnay, nothing to argue about. This one surprises. The list has actual bones: Old World producers with a point of view, a sommelier who clearly had some say, and a Wednesday deal that changes the math considerably.
The list spans Italy, France, Spain, California, Greece, and Portugal — a legitimately international spread that doesn't just drop in a token Rioja and call it diverse. The Sardinian Olianas Vermentino and the Bodegas Nisia Old Vines Verdejo from Rueda signal someone was paying attention when they built this thing. On the prestige end, Taittinger Brut and a 2014 Cakebread Cabernet anchor the upper tier, while the 2011 Freemark Abbey Sycamore Vineyard Cab shows there's some age on the shelf. The gap is real on the under-$60 bottle side — this list rewards big spenders more than budget drinkers.
Six options by the glass, ranging from $11 to $19 — modest for a hotel of this caliber, but the pours are intentional rather than filler. We'd like to see more rotation and a couple extra slots to showcase the international range the bottle list hints at. On a Wednesday, though, those glass pours become almost irrelevant — half-price bottles from 5 to 9 PM is a genuinely good deal worth planning around.
Bodegas Nisia 'Old Vines' Verdejo, Rueda — $40–$50 range
Old-vine Verdejo from Rueda punches well above its price bracket — textured, aromatic, and genuinely interesting. In a list that skews California-heavy on the top shelf, this is where the real QPR lives.
Olianas Vermentino, Sardinia
Most tables at a hotel steakhouse are going to go straight for the Cabs. The Olianas Vermentino from Sardinia is the sleeper pick — saline, herbal, and built for seafood or lighter small plates. Most people will walk right past it, which is their loss.
Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Napa Valley
Cakebread is fine wine, but it's also one of the most reliably over-marked bottles in American hotel dining. You're paying a significant premium for a name that every restaurant in the country stocks. The Freemark Abbey is a more interesting Napa Cab and likely a better value at this address.
Freemark Abbey 'Sycamore Vineyard' Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 + Steak
A 2011 Napa Cab with some actual bottle age needs something with fat and char to meet it halfway. A well-seared steak is the obvious call — the wine's structure has softened enough to integrate, and the dark fruit profile handles the beef without bullying it.
Wednesday — Half-price bottles on select wines every Wednesday from 5PM to 9PM
✔️ The Bottom Line
The markup stings a little, but the Wednesday half-price program and a genuinely thoughtful list make this one of the better hotel wine experiences in Madison. Come on a Wednesday, order the Verdejo, and stop overthinking it.
South West Side / Arbor Gate · Madison · Contemporary American
Bonfyre is a reliable neighborhood grill that happens to have Wine Down Wednesday, and that promotion does more for this wine program than anything on the list itself. Come on a Wednesday, order the Riesling or the Malbec with your steak, and you'll leave happy — just don't expect the list to dazzle you on a Tuesday.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Downtown / Capitol Square · Madison · Sushi / Japanese
Red Sushi isn't a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — but the fortified and dessert options give it more credibility than most comparable spots downtown. Come for the sushi, stay for the Madeira.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Far West Side / Greenway Station · Madison · Casual Italian
Biaggi's is a chain, the markups are steep, and nobody on staff is going to geek out over Nebbiolo with you — but the Wine Wednesday promotion (50% off bottles $75 and under) genuinely changes the math. Come on a Wednesday, order a bottle of Santa Margherita or a Chianti Classico at half price, and you'll have a perfectly solid dinner without any regrets.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown · Madison · Seafood and Steak
Tempest is a reliable downtown option for wine with your oysters — the list has genuine highlights and the glass count is respectable, but the markups are steep and the program isn't pushing itself. Go for the Sancerre, go for the Riesling, and don't overthink it.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Side / Junction Road · Madison · Wine Bar & Bistro
Eno Vino West is the dependable neighborhood wine bar Madison's west side needs — not flashy, not adventurous, but genuinely well-stocked and fairly priced. Show up on a Monday or Tuesday, grab a half-price bottle, and stop overthinking it.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Near West Side / Monroe Street · Madison · Californian-style, veggie-forward American
Everly's list is more thoughtful than most neighborhood spots its size, with a few genuinely exciting bottles mixed in with the safe pours. We'd send a friend here for wine, but we'd tell them to go in with eyes open on the markup — you're paying a premium for the atmosphere as much as what's in the glass.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Golden Triangle Area · Denton · American
Cheddar's wine program exists to check a box, not to serve you well. Order a cocktail or a beer — they've actually put thought into those — and save the wine for a restaurant that cares.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Golden Triangle Area · Denton · American
BJ's Denton is a beer hall that happens to stock wine, and the list makes that priority crystal clear. If you must drink wine here, come on a Tuesday — Half Off Wine Tuesday is the one thing this program does that actually earns a tip of the glass.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Southridge / Town Center Trail · Denton · American
Houlihan's Denton is not a wine destination, and it has no interest in being one. The one genuine reason to order wine here is Tuesday — half-price bottles all day is a deal worth setting a calendar reminder for, especially if you're grabbing the Portillo or the Bloodroot.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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