Monday Bottles Make This Dayton's Best Deal
South Park/Wayne Avenue · Dayton · American / Wood-Fired · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 3, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The list at Wheat Penny is short enough to read before your bread arrives, and that's not a complaint — it's curated with actual intention. You can see a chef's hand in these selections: nothing flashy, nothing random, just wines that want to be next to food. It reads like someone actually thought about what people order here.
The backbone is Italian and Spanish, which makes sense for a place leaning wood-fired and approachable. You've got Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo for the red-sauce crowd, Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva for anyone who wants something with a little more structure, and Ameztoi Txakolina for the adventurous table that doesn't know it's adventurous yet. The domestic side is thin — Rabble Cabernet is solid enough, but it's surrounded by grocery-aisle names like Cavit and Bogle that feel like they wandered in from a chain restaurant. The list could use one more interesting American bottle to balance things out.
Twelve to sixteen options by the glass is genuinely generous for a neighborhood spot in Dayton, and the spread covers sparkling, white, rosé, and red without doubling up on the obvious. The Gruet Brut and Frico Frizzante both showing up by the glass means you can actually start the meal right. Rotation appears limited — this feels more like a set list than one that changes with the seasons.
Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva — $42
Muga Reserva reliably retails in the $18-22 range, so the markup here is on the higher end — but on a Monday at half price, you're getting one of Spain's most dependable Reservas for around $21 a bottle. That's a genuinely great deal and the kind of wine that makes the whole table happy.
Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina
Most people at Wheat Penny are going to order the Muga or the Montepulciano and call it a night. The Txakolina from Ameztoi is the pick that separates the curious from the comfortable — it's tart, slightly spritzy, low-alcohol Basque white wine that cuts through anything rich on the menu and costs less than you'd expect.
Cavit Pinot Grigio
At $26 a bottle, you're paying nearly three times retail for a wine you can grab at any grocery store for $9. There's no story here, no reason to order it when the Txakolina exists on the same list. This one's for the table that isn't paying attention.
Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo + Wood-fired pizza
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is practically designed for wood-fired anything — it has enough dark fruit and rustic edge to stand up to char and sauce without overwhelming what's on the plate. Zaccagnini is the reliable, no-argument version of this pairing and it won't break $40.
Monday — Half-price bottles of wine all day Monday at the bar. Applies to most bottles on the list; a small number of reserve selections may be excluded. Verified across multiple local sources.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Wheat Penny is doing more with a short list than most Dayton restaurants do with twice the options, and Monday half-price bottles make it an actual destination. The markups on the commodity bottles are hard to defend at full price, but the thoughtful picks and killer deal on Mondays keep this firmly in the 'go back' column.
Miamisburg/Dayton Mall · Dayton · Steakhouse
The wine list is an afterthought dressed up in a laminated card — but the prices are fair enough that ordering a glass won't ruin your night. Come for the steak, drink the Coppola Cab, and don't look at the list too hard.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Dayton Mall/Miamisburg · Dayton · Casual American Restaurant and Brewhouse
BJ's Dayton is a beer restaurant with a wine list stapled to the back, and the wine list knows it. Come for the Pizookie and the craft beers — but if you do drink wine here, show up on a Monday and order something simple.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
The Greene · Dayton · Italian
Bravo is not a wine destination, and it doesn't try to be — but Wednesday nights at the bar with $7 pours of Ruffino Chianti and a pasta dish is genuinely a decent night out in Beavercreek. Skip the wine list the other six nights unless you're okay paying chain markups for supermarket bottles.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
The Greene · Dayton · Upscale American Steakhouse
Fleming's Dayton is a reliable, well-run steakhouse wine program that does exactly what it promises — it just charges a lot for the privilege. Come for Social Hour, drink smart, and don't let anyone talk you into the Caymus at bottle price.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Dayton Mall/Miamisburg · Dayton · Seafood
Bonefish Grill Dayton is a decent dinner spot for seafood, but the wine list is a national template — not a local program anyone actually thought about. Order the Nobilo, enjoy the fish, and save your wine ambitions for somewhere that has any.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Dayton Mall/Miamisburg · Dayton · Italian Chain
Olive Garden's wine list is a corporate checkbox, not a wine program — markups are steep on bottles that retail for under $12, the list never changes, and nobody on the floor is going to steer you anywhere interesting. Stick to the Chianti or the Ste. Michelle Riesling, skip the Moscato upsell, and manage your expectations accordingly.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.