Best Wine Lists in North Carolina

Imbibe at 108 Henderson

Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill · Cajun / Bar Food

The Lazy List

Imbibe's wine list is an afterthought in a place where cocktails and beer are clearly the main event — and that's fine, as long as you order accordingly. If you're committed to wine with your étouffée, grab the Mülderbosch and move on.

Page Road Grill

· Chapel Hill · American Grill

The Reliable

Page Road Grill isn't trying to be a wine destination and doesn't pretend to be — but the list is priced fairly, shows occasional flashes of genuine curation, and gives you enough options to drink well while you eat. Send a friend here for dinner and tell them to skip the Honig.

Alma Mexicana

· Winston Salem · Modern Mexican

The Wild Card

Alma Mexicana is a genuine wild card — a modern Mexican restaurant in Winston-Salem with a wine program that's quietly pointing at Old World Europe instead of the expected California house pour. We need the full list to give you the real numbers, but the instinct here is good enough to warrant ordering something other than a margarita.

The Caviste

· Winston Salem · Wine Bar / Bottle Shop

The Wild Card

The Caviste is doing something genuinely weird for Winston-Salem — a curated, Austria-only bottle shop with prices that should embarrass most restaurant wine lists. If you're even slightly curious about Grüner Veltliner or natural-leaning reds, this is a low-risk, high-reward detour.

Divine Llama Vineyards Tasting Room & Bistro

· Winston Salem · Winery Tasting Room / Light Bites

The Wild Card

Divine Llama is a fun, farm-genuine detour if you're exploring North Carolina wine country and want something local and unpretentious. Don't come for depth or discovery beyond the estate — come for the story, the setting, and a glass of Traminette you probably wouldn't have ordered anywhere else.

West End Cafe

· Winston Salem · American Cafe

The Reliable

West End Cafe isn't a wine destination, but it's a perfectly decent place to drink something decent without overpaying for it. Send a friend here if they want wine with dinner and aren't looking to make an event out of it.

Little Pep

· Winston Salem · Wine Bar / Market

The Wild Card

Little Pep is doing something genuinely uncommon for Winston-Salem: a short, confident, all-by-the-glass natural wine list with real producer cred and fair prices. Send a curious friend here; skip sending someone who wants a Napa Cab.

Manolo's Boutique Wines

· Winston Salem · Wine Bar / Small Plates

The Wild Card

Manolo's is a genuine surprise for Winston-Salem — a focused, serious wine program that gives you by-the-glass access to bottles most restaurants lock behind full-bottle commitments. The markup is not subtle, but you're paying for curation and access, and if you pick smart, the experience delivers.

Medaloni Cellars

· Winston Salem · Winery Restaurant / Small Plates

The Wild Card

Medaloni Cellars is doing something genuinely interesting in Winston-Salem: building a single-producer list that doesn't bore you into ordering a cocktail. If you have any curiosity about what North Carolina wine can actually do, this is the place to test it.

Carolina's Vineyards & Hops

· Winston Salem · Wine Bar / Taproom

The Lazy List

Four house wines does not a wine bar make. Unless you're here for the hops side of things, the wine program at Carolina's Vineyards & Hops isn't worth centering your evening around — order a beer and call it a night.

End Posts Restaurant at JOLO Winery & Vineyards

· Winston Salem · Winery Restaurant / American

The Wild Card

End Posts is a single-producer list by design, and if you're good with that — and in the mood to dig into what one North Carolina winery can actually do — it delivers a genuinely fun afternoon. Don't come expecting a broad cellar; do come expecting to leave with a new favorite local label.

Cugino Forno Pizzeria

· Winston Salem · Neapolitan Pizza

The Lazy List

Cugino Forno isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the five-bottle list makes that abundantly clear. The prices are fair enough that you won't feel ripped off, but if wine matters to you on a night out, this is a BYOB situation — check their corkage policy.