Croque Monsieur's Best Friend, Priced Right
Macalester-Groveland · St. Paul · French Bistro
Reviewed June 24, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Bon Vie Bistro is exactly what you'd hope to find chalked on a board at a neighborhood French café — short, unpretentious, and priced like they actually want you to order a second glass. Nothing here is going to make a wine nerd's pulse quicken, but nothing is going to make your wallet wince either.
The list leans sensibly into its French bistro identity with a Côtes du Rhône Rosé and a Bordeaux Supérieur anchoring the French side, while a Prosecco and a Pinot Grigio delle Venezie cover the Italian bases. California shows up with a house Cabernet and a Chardonnay, keeping things accessible for the crowd that defaults to familiar. Don't come here expecting Burgundy or anything remotely obscure — this is a café list, not a cellar list. The gaps (no Loire, no natural wine, zero Alsace despite the French framing) are notable, but for a spot where the quiche is the star, it mostly works.
Somewhere between 8 and 12 pours by the glass depending on the day, ranging from $8 to $11 — which is genuinely refreshing in a city where mediocre pours have crept past $14. The rotation doesn't appear to change much, so don't expect seasonal surprises, but the anchors are solid enough to revisit.
Bordeaux Supérieur — $10
Ten bucks for a Bordeaux Supérieur by the glass is almost aggressively fair. This is the kind of pour that costs $15 at retail and gets marked up to $16–18 everywhere else. Order it twice.
Côtes du Rhône Rosé
Most people at a French bistro reach for the Bordeaux or the Prosecco out of habit. The Côtes du Rhône Rosé at $9 is the smarter play — structured enough to hold up to savory food, light enough to drink through a whole meal, and the most honest expression of the restaurant's French identity on the list.
California Chardonnay
A generic California house Chardonnay at a French bistro is a placeholder, not a choice. There's nothing technically wrong with it, but it has nothing to do with the food or the vibe here. If you want white wine, the Pinot Grigio or the Rosé are both better calls.
Côtes du Rhône Rosé + Croque Monsieur
The Rhône Rosé has just enough acidity and Provençal backbone to cut through the béchamel and ham without competing with the toasted bread. It's a classic bistro move and it works every time.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Bon Vie Bistro isn't trying to be a wine destination and doesn't pretend to be — but it gets the fundamentals right, keeps prices honest, and makes an easy case for a $10 Bordeaux with your quiche. Send your friends here when they want a relaxed weeknight pour without the markup guilt.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.