The LES natural wine bar that actually delivers
Lower East Side · New York · Small Plates / Wine Bar · Visit Website ↗
Updated July 2026
Reviewed March 24, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Wildair’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The list at Wildair hits differently than most New York wine bars — it reads like someone actually curated it with a point of view instead of just ordering whatever the rep pushed that month. Natural, low-intervention, alive with personality, and priced in a way that makes you feel like you're getting away with something. That's a rare combination on Orchard Street, or anywhere in this city.
Ninety-two labels deep with a tight focus on France and Italy, but the breadth within those regions is impressive. You've got grower Champagne from Bonnet-Ponson and Seconde Nature sitting next to Costadilà Prosecco, Dard & Ribo doing their thing in the Rhône, and Jean-Yves Peron bringing Alpine weirdness from Savoie. Domaine Tissot's Indigene and Eric Pfifferling's Tavel round out a roster that rewards the curious drinker who actually wants to eat through the list. The gaps are minimal — this is a deliberately built program, not an afterthought.
Twelve pours by the glass is generous for a list this focused, and the rotation reflects what's happening on the bottle list rather than just the safe crowd-pleasers. Expect the pours to shift with the seasons and the menu, which means there's almost always something worth asking about. Staff will steer you right if you're unsure.
Bonnet-Ponson Seconde Nature NV — $45
Grower Champagne at the entry price point of this list is a gift — this is a bottle that would run you significantly more at a traditional wine program, and it drinks with all the texture and interest you'd want from a serious house.
Jean-Yves Peron
Peron's wines from Savoie are some of the most underappreciated bottles in the natural wine world — Alpine varieties most people can't name, made with serious intention. Most diners scroll past it. Don't.
Meyer Pinot Noir
At $60 on the list against a $35 retail price, this one carries the steepest markup in the sampling — nearly double. On a list this good and this fairly priced overall, it sticks out as the one bottle where the math doesn't work in your favor.
Eric Pfifferling Tavel + Beef tartare
Pfifferling's Tavel is a serious, structured rosé with enough grip and savory depth to stand up to raw beef without overwhelming it. The minerality cuts through the fat, and the whole thing feels intentional in the best possible way.
The Bottom Line
Wildair is the real deal — a wine program with actual conviction, fair pricing that borders on generous, and a room that makes you want to order another bottle and stay. If you care about wine and you're in New York, this one belongs on your list.
Midtown · New York · French Brasserie
La Grande Boucherie earns its place as a reliable stop for wine in Midtown, especially if you're leaning French. The glass list is genuinely wide and has some smart picks buried in it — the Fleurie and the Wiemer Riesling both punch above their price points. Markups trend steep as you climb the bottle list, so your money works hardest in the by-the-glass section. If you're here for the brasserie experience, the wine program holds up its end of the deal.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Steakhouse
BLT Prime's wine program is glass-only, which limits your options if you came for a big bottle moment, but the pricing is honest and the selection is more thoughtful than most steakhouses bother with. If you're keeping it casual and ordering by the glass, you can drink well here without feeling taken advantage of — and that's not nothing in this city.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
The Palm Midtown is not where you'd expect to find Puzelat and Ruth Lewandowski sitting next to each other on a wine list — which is exactly what makes it worth a second look. Six bottles is a short menu, but all six are defensible picks at prices that don't insult you. If you're in the mood to trust the list and not overthink it, this works.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Murray Hill · New York · Classic American Steakhouse
Wolfgang's is a reliable steakhouse wine experience in the sense that you know exactly what you're getting: a list built around the bottle you already know, priced for the room you're sitting in. If you're here to close a deal over a Porterhouse for Two, the wine list will do its job without embarrassing anyone — but it's not going to surprise you, and it's almost certainly going to cost more than it should. Go in with eyes open and a strong second-choice red in mind.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Mediterranean
Zaytinya's wine list is a rare thing in New York: a focused, regionally coherent program that commits hard to Greek and Eastern Mediterranean varieties without making you feel like you need a flashcard to order. The by-the-glass selection alone — 18 options, all under $18, featuring producers most wine lists wouldn't touch — makes this worth visiting even before the food arrives. If you eat here and order a Cabernet, that's on you.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
SoHo · New York · Italian
A long bottle list with Italian, Burgundy and Champagne sections, fronted by a 22-wine glass page. For a glass, try the Skerk Orange Wine from Friuli at 25/95, and for a bottle on a lighter budget, the Volpaia Vermentino at 60; upstairs in the café, the labeled list pours Palistorti di Valgiano's orange Tuscan blend at Glass $22. Confirm prices before you order, because the site's Upstairs Café dinner menu and the beverage PDF do not match. This unrated guide covers the posted wine lists, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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