Great Drag Show, Grocery Store Wine List
Short North · Columbus · American, Bar · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 22, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Union Cafe’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Union Cafe takes about four seconds to read — and that includes blinking. Nine Woodbridge and Barefoot labels, all priced at $8 a glass, staring back at you like a CVS endcap that got a little too comfortable. The room is genuinely fun and the drag shows are legitimately world-class, but whoever put this list together was not thinking about the wine drinkers in the building.
This is as California-generic as it gets: Woodbridge covers the reds and most of the whites, Barefoot handles the sweeter end, and that's the whole story. No depth, no regional curiosity, no producer worth mentioning to a friend. There's a J Roget Brut split on the menu that technically counts as bubbles, but J Roget is the bottom rung of a very long ladder. If you came here hoping to find something interesting — a skin-contact white, an off-the-beaten-path red, literally anything with a story — keep walking.
Eight of the eleven labels are available by the glass, which sounds generous until you realize the list is eleven bottles of mass-market California wine. Every pour is $8, which is honest pricing for what you're getting — essentially, wine as a mixer at a bar that happens to serve food. Rotation appears to be nonexistent; this list has the energy of something that hasn't changed since the Obama administration.
Woodbridge Pinot Grigio — $8
At $8 a glass for a wine that retails for $9, you're basically drinking at retail. It's not exciting, but it's cold, inoffensive, and won't hurt your wallet while you watch the show.
Woodbridge Rosé
It's not hidden so much as ignored — most people here are ordering cocktails, and the rosé sits quietly on the list. On a warm night on that big patio, a $8 glass of pink wine is a perfectly acceptable move, and at near-retail pricing, at least you're not getting gouged.
J Roget Brut Split
A 60% markup on a $5 split of J Roget — a sparkling wine that tastes like carbonated ambition — is the one place on this list where you're actually paying a penalty. If you want bubbles, order a cocktail instead.
Barefoot Riesling + Pad Thai
A little sweetness in the glass softens the heat and salt in the Pad Thai. Barefoot Riesling is not a serious wine, but it's doing real work here, and at $8 it earns its place on the table.
The Bottom Line
Union Cafe is a legitimately great bar with a genuinely terrible wine list — come for the drag, the patio, and the Stack Burger, and order a cocktail unless you truly don't care what's in your glass. The pricing is shockingly fair for what it is, but what it is is Woodbridge.
German Village · Columbus · Italian
Cento is the rare Columbus restaurant where the wine list is a genuine reason to go, not just a footnote to the pasta. Matthew Selva's Italian-focused program earned its Wine Spectator nod honestly — send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Columbus · Columbus · Spanish, Catalan
Barcelona has been earning its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2005, and the list holds up — serious Spanish producers, fair prices, and enough glass pours to drink well across a full tapas spread. For Columbus, this is genuinely the best Spanish wine program in the room.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Columbus · Columbus · French, Seasonal
The Refectory has been doing this quietly and correctly since 2003, and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence held that long doesn't happen by accident. If you're in Columbus and serious about wine, this is the room — full stop.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Easton Town Center · Columbus · Steak House
Mastro's Columbus is a trophy-wine steakhouse doing what trophy-wine steakhouses do — and doing it well enough to earn a Wine Spectator credential in its first year. If you're celebrating something, drinking California cab with a great steak, and not particularly interested in venturing off the map, this list will absolutely deliver.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Columbus · Columbus · American, Steakhouse
Jeff Ruby's is doing the steakhouse wine list right — deep cellar, Wine Spectator credentials, and enough California firepower to keep any red wine drinker busy all night. Bring your appetite for both the ribeye and the markup, because this room doesn't apologize for either.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Columbus · Columbus · American, Asian
Agni is the best wine list in Columbus most people haven't had a reason to talk about yet — until now. With two sommeliers, a 300–500 bottle program, and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence already in its first year, send your friends here and tell them to skip the Caymus.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
West Kennewick / Clearwater Ave · Kennewick · American, Bar
Magill's isn't a wine destination, but it's a neighborhood spot that actually tried with its list — local producers, a thoughtful rosé pick, and a Wednesday deal that makes the steep everyday markups irrelevant. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Mourvèdre rosé, and stop overthinking it.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Fairhaven · Bellingham · American, Bar
The Black Cat is a genuinely good neighborhood spot with a wine list that mostly gets out of its own way — just steer toward the Washington and Spanish bottles, stay away from the California Pinot trap, and enjoy the view. We'd send a friend here for a low-key dinner, not a wine-first evening.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Fogelsville / Near Allentown · Allentown · American, Bar
Madeline's won't be the reason you plan a trip to Fogelsville, but if you're already there, the wine list earns a solid passing grade. Fair prices, decent range, and a few genuinely good picks make it worth ordering a bottle instead of defaulting to the bar menu.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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