Wings First, Wine Very Much Last
Downtown · Lincoln · Wings / Sports Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 25, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at The Watering Hole is exactly what you'd expect to find wedged between the beer specials board and a TV showing the game — seven familiar labels, zero surprises. This is a list that wasn't built, it was assembled by someone who grabbed whatever was on sale at the distributor. It gets the job done if you must have wine, but nobody's walking in here for the Burgundy selection.
Seven wines, all of them household names you've seen at every casual chain from here to Omaha. We're talking Kim Crawford, Meiomi, Decoy, La Marca — the greatest hits of grocery store endcaps. Veuve Clicquot shows up like a party crasher, which is either ambitious or just someone trying to justify a $135 price tag in a buffalo wing joint. There's no old world depth, no regional curiosity, nothing that suggests anyone on the buying side thought harder than 'what do people recognize.' The Conundrum Red Blend and DAOU Cab round out the bottom of the bottle list, keeping everything safely within the comfort zone of someone who drinks wine twice a year.
All seven wines pour by the glass, which sounds generous until you realize the list is only seven deep to begin with — so the by-the-glass program is just the entire list. Prices run $12 to $18 a pour, which feels like a stretch when you're drinking Decoy Chardonnay next to a basket of fries. There's no rotation happening here; this list has been sitting unchanged long enough to collect dust.
La Marca Prosecco — $12/glass
At $12 a pour for La Marca, it's the least offensive ask on the menu. It's light, it's bubbly, it doesn't need to be anything more than it is, and it actually plays well in a loud sports bar setting. Lowest risk pick on the list.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Nobody's ordering the Riesling at a wings bar, which is exactly why you should. Washington Riesling with a little residual sweetness is legitimately one of the better pairings for spicy buffalo wings — the slight sweetness cuts the heat, the acidity keeps it from feeling heavy. It's the most thoughtful accidental pairing on the menu.
Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut
At $135 a bottle, the Veuve is priced at a serious premium for a sports bar with no champagne infrastructure, no proper flutes, and wings on the table. You can grab the same bottle at retail for around $55-60. This is a four-figure markup percentage that doesn't belong on a list in this context — save it for somewhere that earns it.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling + Chicken Wings
Off-dry Washington Riesling is built for spice. The gentle sweetness in the Ste. Michelle tames the heat from hot or honey-garlic wings, and the crisp acidity refreshes your palate between bites. It's genuinely the best pairing on the menu, and almost nobody orders it.
❌ The Bottom Line
The Watering Hole is a great spot for wings and a cold beer — the wine list is an afterthought and the pricing makes sure you know it. If you're here for a game and need wine, grab the Riesling or the Prosecco and call it a night.
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