Approachable pours for the small plates crowd
Bethlehem/Lehigh Valley region · Allentown · Fusion/Eclectic Bistro · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 4, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Twisted Olive reads like it was built to please everyone at the table — and that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's approachable, globally scattered, and perfectly matched to a room built around sharing small plates and keeping the conversation going. Don't come expecting to dig for obscure growers; do come expecting a list that won't embarrass anyone.
The 40-to-70-bottle range pulls from California, Italy, Spain, and France — the four most comfortable corners of the wine world, chosen with the casual diner in mind rather than the deep-dive enthusiast. Producers like Santa Margherita, Josh Cellars, Apothic, and Kendall-Jackson dominate, which tells you exactly who this list is speaking to. There's no real regional identity here — it's more of a global greatest-hits compilation than a curated point of view. The gaps are real: no Burgundy worth mentioning, no Iberian deep cuts, nothing that'll make you lean across the table and say 'you have to try this.'
Eight to fourteen options by the glass is a respectable range for a casual bistro format, and the pricing is genuinely fair by Lehigh Valley standards. The pours skew toward crowd-favorite brands — think what you'd see on a mid-tier hotel menu — but nothing is egregiously overpriced relative to retail. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority here; the glass list feels like it was set once and left to run.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon California 2021 — $12
At $12 a glass with a retail price of $14, the markup is minimal — you're essentially paying a dollar or two over what you'd pull off a grocery store shelf. It's not a complex wine, but it's honest and correct for the format.
La Marca Prosecco NV
Most people sleep on bubbles at a bistro and go straight for red or white, but ordering La Marca at $11 a glass with a plate of flatbreads is genuinely the move. It's fresh, low-commitment, and makes the small plates format feel like an occasion.
Apothic Red Winemaker's Blend NV
At $10 a glass for a wine that retails at $10 a bottle, you're paying full bottle price for a single pour. Apothic Red is also the definition of sweet, jammy filler wine — there's nothing wrong with it on your couch, but at a restaurant that could do better, pass.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio Alto Adige 2022 + Tapas-style small plates
Santa Margherita's Pinot Grigio has enough citrus brightness and clean acidity to cut through a rotating spread of small plates without getting in the way. It's a reliable, neutral thread that lets the food do the talking — exactly what you want when the table is full of dishes going in six different directions.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Twisted Olive is a solid neighborhood wine stop — fair prices, familiar faces on the list, nothing that'll blow your mind but nothing that'll ruin your night either. Send a friend here for a casual Wednesday dinner, not a special occasion splurge.
Downtown Bethlehem · Allentown · Upscale American
1741 on the Terrace isn't trying to be a wine destination, but the fortified and dessert wine program alone is worth the visit — it's genuinely rare to find this much care put into the end-of-meal pours. Come for the atmosphere, stay through dessert.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Bethlehem Historic District · Allentown · Upscale New American with French-Asian influences
Edge is a dependable night out for wine in a market that doesn't always take the glass seriously — the list won't dazzle you, but it won't embarrass you either. Send a friend here knowing they'll drink well; just steer them away from the rosé markup.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Bethlehem/Wind Creek Resort · Allentown · Steakhouse
Chop House does what a casino steakhouse wine list is supposed to do: it stocks the names people recognize, charges casino prices for them, and gets out of the way. If you're here for the prime ribeye and a bottle of Jordan, you'll leave happy — just don't look too hard at the markups.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Bethlehem · Allentown · Contemporary American Rooftop
Zest isn't where you go to geek out on wine, but it is where you go to drink something decent while watching the sun dip over Bethlehem without dropping $100. For a rooftop bar, this list is honest, fairly priced, and does exactly what it promises.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Seidersville / Allentown–Bethlehem Border · Allentown · Farm-to-Table New American
Bolete is the best wine list in the Lehigh Valley by a comfortable margin, and it would hold its own in most major cities. If you're driving 45 minutes for dinner, the wine list alone makes it worth the trip.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
West End · Allentown · Contemporary American Steak and Seafood
Westside Grill is the dependable date-night wine list you've seen a hundred times — California hits, a few smart French imports, markups that lean steep but not insulting. It's not a destination for wine lovers, but it won't ruin your dinner either.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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