Thai joint hiding a legit Austrian secret
Southgate · Missoula · Thai · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 13, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Zoo Thai’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
A casual Thai spot on Stephens Ave is not where you expect to find Grüner Veltliner and Ken Wright Pinot Noir on the same list. Ten wines isn't a lot, but whoever put this together was paying attention. This isn't a wine program that just phoned it in with a house red and a house white.
For a 10-label list, the range is genuinely surprising — Austria, Oregon, New Zealand, France, California, and Italy all represented without feeling scattered. The Brunn Grüner Veltliner from Austria is a real find, and Ken Wright's Pinot Noir is a legitimate Oregon producer that belongs on lists twice this size. There's a noticeable lean toward whites and bubbles, which makes sense given Thai food's natural affinity for high-acid, aromatic wines. The Bonhoste Bordeaux feels a little out of place on a Thai menu, but it rounds out the red options without embarrassing anyone.
Every single bottle on the list is available by the glass, which is the right call for a casual spot where people are splitting dishes and may not commit to a full bottle. Prices range from $8 to $13.50 a glass, which is honest money for Missoula. The Ken Wright Pinot at $13.50 a glass is the ceiling, and it's worth it.
Brunn Grüner Veltliner, Austria — $8/glass
Grüner Veltliner at $8 a glass is the kind of thing that makes you feel like you found something. High acid, a little white pepper, citrus edge — it's built for spicy food and it's not trying to be anything it isn't. Great value, great fit.
Pratch Rosé, Austria
Most people are going to walk right past an Austrian Rosé and grab the Gerard Bertrand out of brand recognition. Don't. Pratch is the more interesting bottle here — drier, more structured, and genuinely well-suited to the menu. It's the underdog pick that earns its spot.
Bonhoste Bordeaux, France
Bordeaux is a tough sell at a Thai restaurant, and this one doesn't make a strong enough case for itself. The tannins and oak weight fight the chili heat and fish sauce rather than working with it. There's nothing wrong with the wine in a vacuum — it just doesn't belong at this table.
Brunn Grüner Veltliner, Austria + Green Curry
Green curry's coconut richness and lemongrass brightness need a wine with enough acid to cut through and enough restraint not to fight the aromatics. Grüner Veltliner hits both marks cleanly. This is the pairing that makes you look smart without trying.
The Bottom Line
Zoo Thai has no business having a wine list this interesting, and that's meant as a compliment. If you're eating Thai in Missoula and you care at all about what's in your glass, this is the move.
South Missoula · Missoula · American / Chain
Applebee's Missoula isn't a destination for wine — it's a destination for Boneless Wings and a cold domestic beer, and there's zero shame in that. If wine is a priority, order a cocktail and save the bottle for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Missoula · Breakfast and Diner-Style American
The Shack is worth visiting for the food and the Missoula nostalgia — but the wine list is two bottles deep and priced like it knows you have no other options. Order coffee, order juice, order whatever they're putting in the Vodka Fettuccine, and save the wine drinking for somewhere that's actually trying.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Missoula · New American / Global
Red Bird is the best wine option in Missoula by a comfortable margin, and the curation is genuinely impressive for its size and location. The markups are uneven enough to require some navigation, but if you stick to the Cristom and the Italian picks, you'll drink well without feeling robbed.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Missoula · French / European
The Pearl Café is doing something genuinely unusual — running a thoughtful, fairly priced wine program in a mountain city where most restaurants would coast on a generic list and nobody would complain. Send your wine-curious friends here without apology; just steer them away from the Ste. Michelle.
Solid Range
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Missoula · Sushi, Japanese
SakeTome is a Wild Card: a lively downtown sushi spot with a mostly safe wine list that hides genuine Oregon ambition behind a wall of crowd-pleasers. Come for the rolls, order the Meiomi by the glass or splurge on Walter Scott if it's available — just skip the Priorat.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
South Higgins · Missoula · Italian
Ciao Mambo isn't a destination wine list, but it's honest, fairly priced, and doesn't embarrass itself — which puts it ahead of most Italian spots its size. Send a friend here for dinner and point them toward the Planeta or the Torrontés; they'll thank you.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Santa Ynez Valley · Solvang · Thai
Na Na Thai is a genuinely surprising wine program hiding inside a casual Thai spot in Buellton — fair prices, smart curation, and a clear point of view about what wines belong with spice-driven food. If you're driving through wine country and want something that earns its own kind of credibility, this list is worth the detour.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
The Y / Emerald Bay Road · South Lake Tahoe · Thai
My Thai is a genuine Wild Card — a family Thai joint that somehow assembled a Napa Cab-heavy wine list with real bottles on it, even if the pairing logic is questionable and the markups climb fast. Come for the green curry, order the Santadi, and marvel at the fact that Heitz Trailside exists on this menu at all.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Frederick · Frederick · Thai
Sumittra serves solid Thai food in a welcoming downtown space, but the wine list is a missed opportunity — overpriced supermarket brands with no connection to the cuisine. Order a Thai iced tea and save the wine budget for somewhere that earned it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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