Big Glass Count, Bigger Missed Opportunity
Downtown Spokane · Spokane · Wine Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 9, 2026
Wingman Metrics
A wine bar called Wanderlust promises adventure, and the 20-40 by-the-glass program suggests serious ambition. But flip through the list and the wandering stops pretty fast — you're looking at a who's who of grocery store shelf-grabbers dressed up with wine bar prices. The sommelier on staff is the most exciting thing here.
The list leans on Pacific Northwest, Italy, France, and Spain as its regional anchors, which sounds promising for a Spokane wine bar with access to great Columbia Valley and Willamette Valley producers. In practice, what's confirmed on the list is Delicato Family Vineyards, Bogle, Josh Cellars, Meiomi, Kim Crawford, Franciscan, La Crema, and Murphy-Goode — a murderers' row of mass-market brands you can find at any Safeway. There's no visible push toward interesting small-production Washington or Oregon producers, which is a genuine missed opportunity given how much exciting juice comes out of this region. If the Pacific Northwest focus is real, it's buried.
Twenty to forty by-the-glass options is a genuinely impressive count, and Tuesday's half-price wine-by-the-glass night is reason enough to show up at least once. The problem is that a wide glass pour program built on commodity wines is just a lot of mediocre options — more lanes on the same highway. We'd love to see that BTG real estate used for rotating small-production pours.
Meiomi Pinot Noir 2022 — $52
On a Tuesday, this comes down to $26 a bottle equivalent in glass pours — finally a price that makes sense for what Meiomi actually is. At full price it's a pass, but half-price night makes it the most defensible option on the list.
Franciscan Oakville Estate Chardonnay 2022
It's not exactly obscure, but at 81% markup it's the least gouged bottle on the list, and Franciscan Oakville actually makes a solid, food-friendly Chardonnay that punches above the brand's reputation. For this list, that counts as a gem.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 2023
A $20 retail bottle priced at $46 is a 130% markup on a wine that's basically become a commodity product. You can grab this at any grocery store. There is no version of this that's worth it at restaurant price.
Bogle Essential Red Blend 2022 + Charcuterie Board
The Bogle red blend is soft, fruit-forward, and low-tannin enough to work with cured meats and salty charcuterie without fighting the fat. It's an easy crowd-pleasing combo that at least makes sense together, even if neither is particularly thrilling.
Tuesday — Half-price wine by the glass all night
❌ The Bottom Line
Wanderlust Delicato has the infrastructure of a great wine bar — sommelier, big glass program, half-price Tuesdays, a globally inspired concept — but fills it with the kind of list that belongs at an airport TGI Fridays. Come in on a Tuesday, order the least-marked-up glass you can find, and hope the list gets more adventurous soon.
Kendall Yards · Spokane · Winery and craft distillery tasting room with small bites
Browne Family's Spokane room is a confident single-producer tasting experience done right — fair prices, knowledgeable pours, and a genuine case for why Washington State deserves your attention. Send a friend here if they think Washington wine is just an also-ran.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
West Downtown / Riverside · Spokane · Barbecue / American Tavern
The Blackbird is a genuinely good barbecue tavern that simply doesn't care about wine, and the steep markups on uninspired bottles make that indifference expensive. Come for the smoked meats and a cold beer — if you insist on wine, grab the Milbrandt and move on.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Spokane · Spokane · Fondue / Upscale Casual
The Melting Pot Spokane isn't a wine destination, and it's not trying to be — but the Washington State anchors on this list are genuinely good, and if you stick to those, you'll drink well enough for the occasion. Come for the fondue experience, order the Ste. Michelle, and save the serious wine night for somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Spokane · Spokane · Hotel cocktail bar and lounge with small plates
1919 won't blow any minds, but for a hotel bar in downtown Spokane it earns genuine respect for keeping Washington State producers front and center. Come for the room, stay for the Beresan — just don't expect any surprises in the pricing.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Spokane · Spokane · Hotel Rooftop/Terrace Bar
The Grand Terrace Bar is a great place to drink wine in Spokane — just not necessarily great wine. Come for the skyline, order the Riesling, and save the serious bottle hunting for elsewhere.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Spokane · Spokane · Wine Bar
Barrister is a genuine Wild Card: a serious urban winery tucked into Spokane's rail district that most wine travelers blow past on their way to Walla Walla. If you're in eastern Washington and you haven't stopped here, you owe yourself a visit.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Atlanta · Wine Bar
Vin Atl is doing something most Atlanta wine bars aren't: curating a short list with genuine intention instead of padding it with safe bets. At these prices, it's worth a stop even if you only come for one bottle.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Legacy West · Plano · Wine Bar
CRÚ Plano punches well above its Legacy West strip-mall setting — 300 bottles and a genuinely active specials calendar make this worth a dedicated visit, not just a last-resort pour before the movie. Just don't come looking for Burgundy and you'll leave happy.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Seven Hills · Henderson · Wine Bar
The Cask is a genuinely pleasant place to spend an evening — the vibe is right, the crowd is friendly, and the bar snacks do their job. But the wine list is overpriced brand recognition, not a curated program, and no amount of Tuesday specials changes the math on a $40 Josh Cellars.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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