Brasserie du Soleil
French Classics, Old World Bones, Uneven Markups
Lumina Station · Wilmington · French · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 11, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walk into Brasserie du Soleil and the wine list feels like it belongs here — heavy on France, anchored in the classics, with enough regional depth to signal that someone thought this through. It's a proper French brasserie list: Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhône, Loire, Champagne. No surprises, but no embarrassments either.
Selection Deep Dive
The list runs 60-90 bottles with a clear French spine — Burgundy Chardonnays, Loire Sauvignon Blancs, and Rhône reds doing most of the heavy lifting. There's even a Château d'Yquem presence, which is genuinely exciting to see in a Wilmington strip mall. Gaps show up outside France; if you're looking for a Spanish Tempranillo or a New Zealand Pinot, you're mostly on your own. But for what it is — a French-leaning room that wants you drinking French wine — the list delivers.
By the Glass
With 10-16 by-the-glass options, there's enough to navigate a full meal without committing to a bottle. The range covers the expected French bases, which aligns well with the menu. Rotation appears minimal — this reads more like a static program than one that chases seasonal pours.
Château d'Yquem 2010 — $480
Yes, $480 is real money for a dessert wine — but d'Yquem 2010 at 37% over retail is about as close to honest pricing as you'll find on a trophy bottle anywhere. If you're going to splurge on Sauternes, this is one of the great vintages and the markup is actually restrained by fine dining standards. Split it at the table and feel good about it.
Château d'Yquem 2006
The 2006 sits at $560 — pricier than the 2010 in absolute terms, but it's a slower-evolving vintage that still has decades ahead of it. Most tables walk past it for the flashier years. If you want d'Yquem with more tension and less immediate opulence, this is the sleeper on the list.
Chanzy White
At $70 on a bottle you can grab at retail for $25, that's a 180% markup — more than double what we'd consider fair. The wine itself is perfectly pleasant Burgundy-adjacent white, but there's no reason to pay nearly three times retail for it when better-value options sit nearby on the same list.
Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc + Escargot
The herbal, mineral edge of a good Loire Sauvignon Blanc — think Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé — cuts right through the garlic butter that makes escargot so dangerous to wear. It's a classically French combination and exactly the kind of move this list is set up for.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Brasserie du Soleil is a reliable French wine list in a town where the competition isn't exactly fierce — the Old World depth is real, but watch your step on mid-tier markups that can quietly sting. Send a friend here for the Steak au poivre and a Rhône red; just steer them away from the by-the-glass traps.
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