Hibachi Fun, Wine List Forgot To Show Up
Silas Creek Pkwy · Winston Salem · Japanese / Sushi · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 25, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Umi Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You open the drink menu at Umi and the wine section is basically a footnote. Twenty-two labels total, and the list reads like a supermarket endcap — familiar names, zero surprises, nothing that makes you feel like wine was part of the plan here.
The list leans almost entirely on California Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a curious call for a Japanese steakhouse where lighter reds, sake, and crisp whites would actually make sense with the food. Robert Mondavi and Louis M. Martini anchor the program, and while both are perfectly drinkable, they're also the kind of wines you grab when you're late to a potluck. There's no detectable regional curiosity here — no domestic Pinot, no Riesling, no anything that nods to the cuisine on the other side of the menu. The gaps aren't interesting; they're just gaps.
Sixteen by-the-glass options sounds generous until you realize the list is only 22 bottles deep — meaning most of the program lives on the glass menu by default, not by design. House pours run $8.50 to $9 a glass, which is reasonable for Winston-Salem, but don't expect rotation or anything poured with intention. What's there is there, and it'll stay there.
Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon — $28
At $28 a bottle with a retail price around $22, the markup is barely there — you're essentially paying just a few bucks over what you'd spend at Total Wine. If you're drinking red tonight, this is the move.
Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon
Most people reach for Mondavi on name recognition alone, but Martini's Sonoma Cab consistently punches a little harder for the same price range. On a list this thin, that difference matters.
Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon
At $8.50 a glass, it's not a rip-off, but Mondavi Private Selection is a $12 retail bottle you've seen a hundred times. Save the pour for something you can't buy at a gas station.
Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon + Hibachi Filet Mignon
The char and butter from the hibachi grill give the Martini Cab something to work with — the richness cuts through the fat and the smoke gives the fruit a little life. It's not a revelatory pairing, but it's the best the list can offer.
The Bottom Line
Umi is a fun hibachi night out, and the wine pricing is honestly fairer than it has any right to be — but the list itself is an afterthought, and no amount of fair markup fixes a selection that's two bottles deep in personality. Order sake, or a cocktail, and come back to us when they add a Grüner Veltliner.
· Winston Salem · Bakery / Cafe
Camino Bakery shouldn't have a wine list this considered, and yet here we are. Bottles top out at $29, most land between $14 and $19, and the selection skews curious rather than safe — Txakoli and orange wine at a Winston-Salem bakery is genuinely unexpected. If you're nearby and want a low-pressure bottle without the restaurant markup, this is a legitimately good stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Winston Salem · Thai
Thai Harmony is genuinely worth visiting for the food — the khao soi and kai yang have real fans for a reason, and the downtown space is one of the better dining rooms in Winston-Salem. But come for the kitchen, not the cellar. Until the wine program shows us something specific worth recommending, you're better off ordering a Thai iced tea and saving the wine for another night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Winston Salem · Modern Mexican
Alma Mexicana is a genuine wild card — a modern Mexican restaurant in Winston-Salem with a wine program that's quietly pointing at Old World Europe instead of the expected California house pour. We need the full list to give you the real numbers, but the instinct here is good enough to warrant ordering something other than a margarita.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
· Winston Salem · Wine Bar / Bottle Shop
The Caviste is doing something genuinely weird for Winston-Salem — a curated, Austria-only bottle shop with prices that should embarrass most restaurant wine lists. If you're even slightly curious about Grüner Veltliner or natural-leaning reds, this is a low-risk, high-reward detour.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Winston Salem · Winery Tasting Room / Light Bites
Divine Llama is a fun, farm-genuine detour if you're exploring North Carolina wine country and want something local and unpretentious. Don't come for depth or discovery beyond the estate — come for the story, the setting, and a glass of Traminette you probably wouldn't have ordered anywhere else.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Winston Salem · American Cafe
West End Cafe isn't a wine destination, but it's a perfectly decent place to drink something decent without overpaying for it. Send a friend here if they want wine with dinner and aren't looking to make an event out of it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Sandy Springs · Sandy Springs · Japanese / Sushi
Taka is a genuinely good sushi restaurant in Sandy Springs, and the wine list is serviceable enough to get you through a meal without frustration. But the wine isn't the reason to come here — the hamachi, the black cod, and the omakase are. If you want wine to match the food's ambition, call ahead and ask what they have open; otherwise, come for the fish and treat the wine list as a supporting character.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Missoula · Japanese / Sushi
SakeTome's wine list is small, but it earns its Wild Card badge by making thoughtful choices most Montana restaurants wouldn't bother with — Austrian whites, obscure Italian reds, a Beaujolais that actually belongs at a sushi dinner. Pricing and by-the-glass details remain unconfirmed, which keeps it from climbing higher, but if you're eating sushi in Missoula and want something more interesting than a default Chardonnay, this list gives you real options.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Buckhead · Atlanta · Japanese / Sushi
Brush is doing something genuinely unusual: running a geographically adventurous wine program inside a polished omakase-capable sushi restaurant in Buckhead. The sommelier presence gives us real confidence in the curation, even if pricing likely skews upscale to match the room. If you're going for the uni carbonara udon or the wagyu mazamen, let whoever's working the floor guide you — that's exactly what they're there for.
Surprising Depth
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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