Seven Bottles, Zero Boredom, All Neighborhood
Old West Side · Ann Arbor · European-inspired café fare, sandwiches, salads, cheese and charcuterie, wine bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 4, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Seven wines on the list sounds like a limitation until you actually read them — a Donkey & Goat natural, a Chermette Beaujolais, a Tibouren Provençal rosé. This isn't a short list because nobody tried; it's short because someone made real choices. That alone earns our attention.
York isn't trying to be everything to everyone, and the wine list reflects that with unusual clarity. You've got the Folhof Capelet Bries Merlot-Cabernet anchoring the red side, a Richard Bocking Devon Riesling for the white wine crowd who want something with actual tension, and the Pierre-Marie Chermette Beaujolais Grumier for anyone who still thinks Beaujolais is a party trick — it's not, and Chermette proves it every time. The Confuron Grüner and de Pichery & Fils MVJ3 round out a list that reads more like a curated shop shelf than a restaurant afterthought. The glaring gap is depth by the bottle for groups who want to dig in, but for a neighborhood café running at these price points, the curation punches well above its weight class.
All seven labels appear to be available by the glass — which is exactly right for a spot where you're eating a cheeseboard and deciding what mood you're in. Glass pours in the $10–$16 range keep the math easy and the spontaneity intact. The Wine Down Thursday events suggest regular rotation and genuine enthusiasm behind the program, not just a static list collecting dust.
Pierre-Marie Chermette Beaujolais Grumier — $12–$14/glass est.
Chermette is one of the most respected names in Beaujolais, full stop. Getting this by the glass at a neighborhood café in Ann Arbor at this price point is genuinely good news — it's a serious producer making serious wine, and most people will walk right past it thinking it's just Beaujolais. Their loss, your gain.
Richard Bocking Devon Riesling
A Michigan Riesling on a list this small is a statement, not filler. Richard Bocking is doing quiet, focused work in the state and most guests will default to something they already know. Order this one instead — you'll leave with a better understanding of what's happening in your own backyard.
Folhof Capelet Bries Merlot-Cabernet
It's not a bad wine, but on a list this interesting, ordering a Merlot-Cabernet blend feels like going to a great taco spot and ordering the quesadilla. Save the pour for something with more personality — there are at least three better options on this same list.
Tibouren Clos de Provence + Cheeseboard
Tibouren is a Provençal grape that barely exists outside the South of France, and it has a saline, herbal cut that makes cheese and charcuterie taste like they were made for it — because in Provence, they basically were. This is the move at York.
🎲 The Bottom Line
York is a seven-bottle wine list that makes most fifty-bottle lists look lazy by comparison. If you live on the Old West Side and you're not stopping here on a Thursday, you're leaving good wine on the table.
Downtown · Ann Arbor · Korean BBQ
Tomukun is a great place to eat Korean BBQ and drink soju with friends — the wine list is just not the reason to come here. Order the Riesling if you must, or do yourself a favor and let the soju do the work.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Ann Arbor · Asian noodle bar featuring Korean, Japanese, and other East Asian dishes
Come to Tomukun for the ramen — come for the bibimbap — just don't come for the wine list. Order a beer, or lean into the plum wine and have some fun with it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Ann Arbor · French-Inspired Café / Bistro
Cafe Zola won't be your next wine destination, but it's a dependable neighborhood bistro where you can drink something decent and French without much risk. Stick to the Rhône or the Jadot Chardonnay, avoid the Cloudy Bay markup, and let the crêpes do the heavy lifting.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Ann Arbor · North Indian, Tandoori, and Mughlai
Shalimar isn't a wine destination, but it's playing a smarter game than most Indian restaurants in its bracket — fair prices, a Rhône red, and a Michigan Riesling that was practically designed for the menu. Order the Chateau Grand Traverse, get the Tandoori Chicken, and stop being surprised that it works.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Depot Town / Near North Campus · Ann Arbor · American Seafood and Steak
Gandy Dancer delivers exactly what it promises — a handsome, safe, California-anchored wine list that holds up fine against the prime rib and seafood platters without ever exciting you. Send a friend here for the room and the food; just set expectations accordingly on the wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor · Italian, Wood-Fired Pizza
Bigalora isn't trying to be a wine destination and doesn't need to be — but its tight, Italy-leaning list with generous by-the-glass coverage earns it a reliable spot in the Ann Arbor rotation. Markups could be friendlier, but the bones are good.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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