Cathedral Hill's Scrappy Little Wine List Punches Hard
Cathedral Hill · St. Paul · Neighborhood bistro with eclectic American small plates and elevated bar food · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 24, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You walk into Gus Gus expecting bar food and a beer — and then the wine list makes you stop and actually read it. It's short, maybe 25 bottles on a good day, but whoever put it together clearly has opinions that go beyond 'Cabernet and Chardonnay.' Cathedral Hill doesn't usually serve you Txakolina rosé and Bairrada whites in the same sitting.
The list reads like someone's personal travel diary: Mosel Riesling, Loire Muscadet, Rioja Crianza, Portuguese Bairrada, Basque Country fizzy rosé, and a no-vintage Piemontese red that's basically a party trick in a bottle. It's light on New World representation and won't satisfy anyone hunting for a big Napa Cab, but that's the point — this list has a point of view. Gaps exist: no dedicated Champagne or sparkling section beyond the Ameztoi, and the bottle-only selection likely stays compact. But for a buzzy neighborhood bistro running small plates, the range covers the table well.
Eight pours by the glass is generous for a room this size, and the lineup rotates through genuinely interesting producers rather than leaning on recognizable grocery-store labels. Prices run $13–$16, which is honest for St. Paul and downright refreshing compared to Minneapolis markups a few miles west. The spread hits white, red, rosé, and something fizzy — you're not stuck.
Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet Sèvre et Maine 2022 — $13
Pépière is the benchmark Muscadet producer — this wine retails around $20 and drinks with a saline, oyster-shell crispness that most restaurants would charge $18+ a glass for. At $13, it's the move.
Luis Pato Vinhas Velhas Branco 2020
Most people skip past Portuguese whites without a second glance. Bad call. Pato's old-vine Bical from Bairrada has real texture and a nutty, almost oxidative edge that makes it one of the most interesting whites on the list — and at $15 a glass, it costs less than the conversation it'll start.
Ameztoi Rubentis Rosé 2023
It's a great wine — Txakolina rosé from Getaria is always fun — but at $16 a glass against a $25 retail, it carries the steepest relative markup on the by-the-glass list. Grab the Muscadet or the Pato instead and spend the difference on another small plate.
Steinmetz Riesling QbA 2021 + French onion dip with house chips
The Mosel Riesling's off-dry lift and laser acidity cuts straight through the fat of the onion dip while its apple-and-slate character plays off the savory depth. It sounds like a snack order; it drinks like a moment.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Gus Gus is what happens when someone who actually drinks interesting wine opens a neighborhood spot and resists the urge to play it safe. The list is small, the prices are fair, and it'll make you look smart in front of whoever you brought — send your friends here.
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