Friday Deals Can't Fix a Lazy List
Unknown · Cincinnati · Unknown
Reviewed March 26, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The Summit’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at The Summit reads like someone checked a box rather than made a statement. A few recognizable names, a smattering of regions, and nothing that makes you lean in for a closer look. The Friday half-price night is the most interesting thing happening here, which tells you a lot.
The list skews heavily toward crowd-pleaser territory — Stags Leap Petite Sirah and Rodney Strong Cabernet for the Napa-trained crowd, a Gavi for the white wine people, and some bubbly up front to open the meal. The Naveran Cava and Canella Prosecco suggest someone at least considered the value end of sparkling, but the rest of the list doesn't continue that logic. There are no real regional surprises, no producers that make you do a double-take, and no evidence of a buyer with a point of view. It's a list designed to not offend anyone, which is another way of saying it doesn't excite anyone either.
By-the-glass specifics are thin — we couldn't confirm a full pour program from the available data. What's clear is the bottle-driven markups suggest the glass pours won't be doing you any favors on price either. Friday's half-price night is genuinely the move if you want to explore here without feeling punished.
Canella Prosecco — $44
At full price it's not a steal, but on a Friday half-price night you're at $22 for a solid Italian Prosecco — that's a legitimate deal and the best math on the whole list.
Naveran Cava Brut
Most tables in a place like this reach for the Prosecco or spring for the Champagne, but the Naveran Cava from Penedès is consistently well-made and gets overlooked. It's the smartest bubble on the list and probably the most honest drink in the room.
Cabernet in the Rye
A 193% markup on a $15 retail bottle is hard to justify anywhere, but especially when the list isn't doing anything else to earn your trust. This one's purely margin-padding — leave it.
Stags Leap Petite Sirah + Unknown — menu data unavailable
Petite Sirah wants something with weight and char — a grilled steak or braised short rib would be the obvious call. Without confirmed menu data we can't name the exact dish, but steer this toward the heartiest thing on their menu and you'll be fine.
Friday — Half Price Wine Night every Friday
The Bottom Line
The Summit leans on its Friday half-price night to carry the wine program, and honestly, that one night a week might be the only time the math makes sense here. Come on a Friday, order the Cava, and keep your expectations calibrated accordingly.
· Cincinnati · Contemporary American Steakhouse
Eddie Merlot's is a reliable performer in a genre that doesn't reward risk-taking — you'll eat well, drink acceptably, and pay steakhouse prices for both. If you're after a wine list that surprises or challenges you, this isn't your room. But if you need somewhere that delivers a respectable bottle alongside a serious filet, this gets the job done without embarrassing you at the table.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Montgomery · Cincinnati · American
A winery-restaurant list where nearly every wine is posted with a glass and a bottle price, from $9.50 to $25.00 a glass. Start with the Cooper's Hawk Lux Cabernet Sauvignon, which the menu lists beside the red wine braised short ribs, or the Cooper's Hawk Red at $10.75 a glass, and try the CHMX from Baja, Mexico on a weekday at the $8 Wine O'Clock price. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups, so confirm availability.
Covington · Cincinnati · Farm-to-Table Bistro
A bistro wine list with a compact glass tab and a regional bottle tab that runs from 42 to 310. Start with the Conquilla cava or the Voliero sangiovese by the glass, or the Thymiopoulos xinomavro at $50 if you want a bottle, and confirm prices because the menu is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks list, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Cincinnati · Wood-Fired American
A French-led bottle list with a glass page that starts at $17 and a Coravin page for smaller pours. Order the Domaine Brun-Avril Côtes-du-Rhône at $20 a glass, or try the Château de Plaisance Anjou Blanc by the pour, and confirm vintages since the book says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks selection, not service, storage or markups.
Newport · Cincinnati · Farm-to-table (Italian, French, American)
A tasting-menu room with a wine book that runs from Burgundy to Tuscany and a short, specific beverage sheet. Start with the $15 Delalle sparkling Chenin Blanc, or look at the $48 Rocca del Principe Fiano if you want a bottle, and confirm what is available since neither list is dated. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks lists, not service, storage or markups.
Lytle Park · Cincinnati · Italian
A broad Italian-and-Napa list, with every glass pour labeled by size. Start with the Santa Cristina Cabernet Sauvignon (6oz 12) or the Ohio-made Carlotta red blend (43), and confirm what is pouring, since the list carries no date. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Atlanta · Atlanta · Unknown
Oby Brush has a wine list with a genuine point of view — small, focused, and clearly assembled by someone who reads more than a distributor's sales sheet. The markup keeps it from being a destination purely for wine, but as a companion to whatever's happening in the room, it more than holds its own.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Atlanta · Atlanta · Unknown
Banshee is doing something genuinely rare in Atlanta — a short list that swings for interesting every single time, priced like they actually want you to order a bottle. If you care even a little about drinking something you haven't had before, this is your spot.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Tulsa · Unknown
Ava June is doing something genuinely rare — running a thoughtful, producer-driven French wine list in a mid-sized American city, and doing it without any pretension. If you care about wine, this is worth a detour.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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