Best Wine Lists in Minnesota

Salute Wine Bar & More

Downtown · Rochester · Italian/American Wine Bar

The Reliable

Salute is a perfectly reasonable place to have a glass of wine after a stressful day at Mayo — and in Rochester, that counts for a lot. The list doesn't push boundaries and the pricing skews toward hotel-bar territory, but the room is comfortable and the staff is friendly enough. If you're looking for a wine revelation, keep looking; if you just need a decent pour and a plate of meatballs, you've found your spot.

Ngon Vietnamese Bistro

· St. Paul · Vietnamese

The Reliable

Ngon's wine list isn't going to impress anyone who cares deeply about wine, but it's not trying to. Pricing is fair, nearly everything pours by the glass, and the Bieler rosé is exactly what you should be drinking with a bowl of pho. Send a friend here for dinner without worrying they'll get fleeced — just steer them away from the DAOU.

Fhima's Minneapolis

Downtown Minneapolis · St. Paul · French-Mediterranean / New American

The Reliable

Fhima's is a reliable wine list in a room that deserves one — the glass count is impressive, there are genuine finds buried in there if you look past the Cabs and Chardonnays, and the Italian selections in particular show real range. Markups lean steep on the bigger names, so stay mid-list and you'll eat and drink well. Yes, send a friend here for wine — just steer them away from the Austin Hope.

The Vermilion

· St. Paul · Cocktail Bar and Italian

The Wild Card

The Vermilion isn't a wine list for every night out, but it's one of the most intentional specialty lists we've seen in the Twin Cities — a full dessert and fortified wine program executed with actual conviction. If you're the kind of person who's ever wanted to work through a Tokaji, a Madeira, and a Macvin du Jura in one sitting, this is your spot.

Golden Thyme Coffee & Cafe

Rondo · St. Paul · Cafe and New American

The Lazy List

Golden Thyme deserves every bit of its community love, and the kitchen is cooking at a level the wine list hasn't caught up to yet. Come for the jambalaya linguine and the catfish po'boy — just don't plan your evening around what's in the glass.

Restaurant Aubergine

· St. Paul · French

The Wild Card

Restaurant Aubergine is running an eleven-bottle wine program that punches well above its weight class — the selections are specific, considered, and genuinely adventurous for a French spot in the Twin Cities. If you want a deep cellar and a leather-bound wine bible, look elsewhere; if you want someone's honest, well-edited point of view in a glass, this earns your attention.

Boca Chica Restaurante

· St. Paul · Mexican

The Lazy List

Boca Chica is almost certainly a great neighborhood spot for Mexican food, but the wine program is an afterthought. Eight unlabeled house varietals and a White Zinfandel on the menu is all the signal you need — order the sangria, order a margarita, and save the wine night for somewhere else.

Chianti Grill – Roseville

Roseville · St. Paul · Italian / Steakhouse Hybrid

The Reliable

Chianti Grill is not here to challenge you — it's here to give you a familiar Italian-American night out with wine that won't embarrass anyone. Watch the markups on the California pours, lean into the Italian section, and order the Chianti flight at least once.

Cafe Lurcat

· St. Paul · New American

The Reliable

Cafe Lurcat is a reliable anchor for a Minneapolis date night, and the wine list won't embarrass you — but at these prices, you'd want it to thrill you a little more than it does. Go for the atmosphere and the food; treat the wine list as a solid supporting cast, not the headline act.

Ruth's Chris Steak House – Rochester

· Rochester · Steakhouse

The Reliable

Ruth's Chris Rochester is a reliable if uninspired choice for wine with your steak — the Trimbach and Belle Glos are worth seeking out, but the pricing is corporate-tier steep and the list doesn't reward curiosity. Order the wine you know, enjoy the steak, and don't expect any surprises.

Salem Glen Winery & Vineyard Tasting Room

· Rochester · Winery Tasting Room

The Wild Card

Salem Glen is the Wild Card because almost nobody expects to find a legit wine experience in a barn outside Rochester — and yet here we are. If you're open to cold-climate grapes and a laid-back afternoon, it earns the trip.

Bleu Duck Kitchen

· Rochester · New American

The Wild Card

Bleu Duck Kitchen isn't a wine destination, but it's doing more with its list than most restaurants in its zip code — and that Tuesday dinner-plus-bottle deal is legitimately one of the better mid-week moves in Rochester. Send a friend here if they want a real meal with real wine without a bill that requires a deep breath.