Soju First, Wine Very Much Second
Downtown · Ann Arbor · Korean BBQ · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 4, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Tomukun Korean BBQ’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 Tomukun is seven bottles long — and that feels like exactly the amount of effort that went into it. This is a soju-and-beer house through and through, and the wine program reads like a legal obligation rather than a genuine offering. No shame in that, honestly, but you should know what you're walking into.
Seven labels, all of them recognizable from the bottom shelf of a grocery store wine aisle: House of Brown Pinot Noir, Gen 5 Merlot, OTWC Cabernet Sauvignon, a Loosen Riesling from Germany, something from Friuli Venezia in Italy, Comtesse Marion from France, and Sean Minor from Napa. There's no real throughline here — no attempt to build a list that complements the food, no deep dive into anything. The Loosen Riesling is the one wine on this list that actually makes sense next to Korean BBQ, and even that feels like a happy accident. Everything else is filler.
Three pours available — House of Brown Pinot Noir, Gen 5 Merlot, and OTWC Cabernet Sauvignon — all Californians, all in the $12–$13 range. The pour program doesn't rotate, doesn't surprise, and doesn't particularly inspire. If you came here hoping for a glass of something that enhances the experience of grilling galbi at your table, keep hoping.
House of Brown California Pinot Noir — $12/glass, $38/bottle
At $38 a bottle it's the least painful option on a short list. Light enough not to steamroll the food, and House of Brown at least has some pedigree behind it. Damning with faint praise, but here we are.
Loosen Germany Riesling
Dr. Loosen is one of the most respected Riesling producers on the planet, and a cold, slightly off-dry Riesling is genuinely one of the best things you can drink with Korean BBQ — the acidity cuts through the fat, the residual sugar handles the heat. It's the one wine on this list that belongs here, and most people will walk right past it to order a Hite.
Gen 5 California Merlot
At $45 a bottle it's the priciest pour on a seven-bottle list, and Gen 5 is a bulk-production Central Valley Merlot that retails for around $10-$12. That math doesn't work in your favor. Order soju instead — it's cheaper, it's better, and it's actually meant to be here.
Loosen Germany Riesling + Tabletop Korean BBQ (Samgyeopsal)
Fatty pork belly straight off a charcoal grill needs acid and a little sweetness to reset your palate between bites. Riesling is purpose-built for this job. It's the one moment on this list where the wine actually shows up for the food.
The Bottom Line
Tomukun is a great place to eat Korean BBQ and drink soju with friends — the wine list is just not the reason to come here. Order the Riesling if you must, or do yourself a favor and let the soju do the work.
· Ann Arbor · French-Inspired
La Serre is a genuinely beautiful room with a wine list that's still finding its voice — solid enough for a date night, not yet a destination for anyone who really cares about what's in the glass. Come for the mussels and steak frites, drink something French, and hope the list grows into the space it inhabits.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Ann Arbor · Wine Bar / New American
Vinology is doing something genuinely interesting for Ann Arbor — a globally curious, fairly priced wine list with real depth by the glass and producers you won't find at the Italian place down the street. We'd send a friend here specifically for wine, which is not something we say lightly.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Ann Arbor · New American / Wine Bar
Spencer is a reliable wine bar doing exactly what it sets out to do — give Ann Arbor diners a comfortable, recognizable list with enough options to make everyone at the table happy. Just watch the by-the-glass pricing on the upper end, and let the Idlewild be your little secret.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Campus · Ann Arbor · New American / Hotel Restaurant
Eve is a dependable, well-kept hotel wine list that earns its place as Ann Arbor's go-to for faculty dinners and anniversary meals — just don't come expecting to be surprised. Order the Merry Edwards, skip the Stag's Leap markup, and let someone else handle the tab.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
West Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor · Upscale-casual Italian
Bravo! is a chain doing chain things with its wine list — predictable, approachable, and not particularly exciting. But the markup is fairer than most chains, the by-the-glass range is functional, and if you show up on a Wednesday, $7 Provençal rosé on the patio is a genuinely good time.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Downtown · Ann Arbor · American Gastropub
The Ravens Club isn't a wine destination — it's a late-night Ann Arbor institution that happens to have a functional wine list. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Gruet for $6, and let the spirits program do its real job.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
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