Cleveland's Most Grown-Up Wine List
Downtown Cleveland · Cleveland · Contemporary American · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 22, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Metropolitan’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The Metropolitan's wine list arrives looking like it was put together by someone who actually drinks wine — not just someone who called a distributor and said yes to everything. At 100-plus bottles spanning four continents with a genuine half-bottle program, it signals that this kitchen takes the full dining experience seriously. The Pacific Northwest presence alone would make some Seattle restaurants jealous.
The list leans hard into Washington and Oregon, and that's a flex worth owning — two Cadence Red Mountain bottlings, Cristom and Domaine Drouhin in half-bottles, and Love & Squalor Willamette Pinot Noir anchor a PNW section with real conviction. Europe holds its own with Jermann Pinot Grigio from Friuli, a Valdubón Reserva from Ribera del Duero with actual age on it (2017), and a Voliero Rosso di Montalcino that shows somebody here knows Italy beyond Tuscany's greatest hits. The Champagne section leans on the holy trinity of Moët, Veuve, and Ruinart — all in half-bottles only, which is either thoughtful or a margin play depending on your mood. What's missing is any serious Burgundy presence and a deeper Rhône or Southern Italian showing.
Twelve to eighteen pours is a respectable range for a hotel restaurant, and the by-the-glass program covers the expected bases — Craggy Range 'Te Muna' Sauvignon Blanc from Martinborough is a smart, above-average call that most Cleveland spots wouldn't bother sourcing. The J. Lohr 'Arroyo Vista' Chardonnay skews safe but it's a serious single-vineyard pour that earns its spot. No obvious signs of a dedicated rotation program, so don't expect a lot of seasonal surprises.
Valdubón Reserva, Ribera del Duero 2017 — null
A 2017 Ribera del Duero Reserva with real bottle age is the kind of wine that costs real money at retail and shows up on hotel lists at painful markups — but the vintage depth here makes it worth hunting the price before you order. Spanish Tempranillo with this kind of age is almost always the best value move on a list like this.
Voliero, Rosso di Montalcino 2021
Everyone skips Rosso di Montalcino for the Brunello they can't afford or the Chianti they always order. That's a mistake. Voliero's Rosso is the same Sangiovese DNA as Brunello at a fraction of the price and the 2021 vintage in Montalcino was excellent — this is the table's secret weapon.
Moët & Chandon 'Impérial' Brut Réserve NV 375ml
A 375ml of Moët at a hotel restaurant is going to be priced at a level that makes your eyes water for what is, at the end of the day, entry-level Champagne. Step up to the Ruinart Blanc de Blancs half-bottle if you're going sparkling — the quality gap is significant and the price gap won't be.
Cadence 'Coda', Red Mountain 2022 + Prime Ribeye
Red Mountain Cabernet-dominant blends are built for exactly this moment — the volcanic basalt soils push tannin structure and dark fruit that cuts through the fat on a well-marbled ribeye the way few other American reds can. Cadence is one of Red Mountain's most focused producers and 'Coda' is their most food-forward bottling.
The Bottom Line
The Metropolitan is doing real work on its wine list for a Cleveland hotel restaurant — the Pacific Northwest depth is legitimately impressive and the half-bottle program shows genuine hospitality instincts. Markups will sting if you're paying attention, but the staff knows what they're pouring and that matters more than most people admit.
University Circle · Cleveland · Regional
Table 45 is a dependable hotel wine list that punches above its Cleveland zip code — it's not adventurous, but it's not embarrassing either. Send a friend here if they want recognizable, quality bottles in a proper setting; steer them toward Jordan and Drouhin and away from the obvious crowd-pleasers.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Flats East Bank · Cleveland · Italian
Lago East Bank is a legitimately strong Italian wine program in a city that doesn't always get credit for having them — the WS Award of Excellence since 2023 is earned. Markups keep it from being a great value play, but if you're going to drop money on a bottle of Barolo anywhere in Cleveland, this is the room to do it.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Shaker Square · Cleveland · French
Edwins is one of the most genuinely interesting restaurant stories in Cleveland — a fine-dining French program run by people earning their place in the industry — and the wine list is good enough to stand on its own merits, mission aside. Send a friend here and tell them to order French across the board, from the escargot to the bottle.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Woodmere · Cleveland · American Steakhouse
J. Gilbert's is a reliable, well-stocked steakhouse list that plays it safe with California heavyweights and charges accordingly — nothing groundbreaking, but the Sunday wine deal is one of the better recurring specials in Cleveland and reason enough to plan around it. Come for the filet, drink better than you expected to.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Gateway District · Cleveland · Italian, American, Steakhouse
The Centro is a reliable pour for downtown Cleveland — the list won't surprise you, the prices will sting a little, but it's a competent wine program for a hotel steakhouse anchored in a beautiful room. Send a friend here if they want familiar bottles and a good steak; steer them elsewhere if they're looking for anything off the beaten path.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Cleveland · American Grill
J. Alexander's has no business having this good of a markup on their wine list, but here we are. It's a chain, it's comfortable, and it's offering pours like Austin Hope Cabernet at prices that would embarrass half the independent restaurants in Cleveland — send a friend here without hesitation.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Beaver Creek Plaza · Vail · Contemporary American
Golden Eagle Inn is the kind of reliable mountain wine list that won't embarrass you on a date or a client dinner, but it'll charge you for the altitude at every turn. The Brunello and the Bouchard Beaune are genuine bright spots — find those, skip the Veuve, and you'll have a good night.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Vail Village · Vail · Contemporary American
Sweet Basil is the best wine list in Vail by a wide margin — 400 bottles, a real Cruvinet program, and a sommelier who put actual thought into the selections. The markups sting, but that's mountain dining; the quality justifies the trip.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
West Sedona · Sedona · Contemporary American
The Hudson isn't going to make any wine lists for its wine list, but it's a solid, competent program for what this place is — a lively upscale-casual spot where the views are doing a lot of the work. Send your friends here for dinner and tell them to stick to the bottles under $70.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
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.
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