Union Kitchen

The wine list at Union Kitchen lands like the restaurant itself — warm, unfussy, and clearly meant to be used rather than studied. At 120-plus bottles with a strong California spine and a respectable nod to France, it earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence without trying too hard. This is a neighborhood list that knows its audience.

California and France split the spotlight here, and the balance mostly works. You'll find familiar faces like Jordan Cabernet from Alexander Valley and Sonoma-Cutrer's Russian River Ranches Chardonnay anchoring the California side, while Louis Jadot's Burgundy selections carry the French end with quiet credibility. Duckhorn Merlot from Napa shows up too — a smart call given how many guests still haven't forgiven Sideways. The list doesn't venture far beyond these comfort zones, but what's here is well-chosen and honestly priced in the $38–$180 range.

Eighteen to twenty-eight pours by the glass is genuinely generous for a West Hartford neighborhood spot, and the $12–$18 range keeps things accessible without feeling like you're drinking from the bottom shelf. Whispering Angel Rosé almost certainly appears here — it's that kind of room — but the glass list is wide enough that you're not stuck with only crowd-pleasers.