HOQ Restaurant
Iowa's Quietly Adventurous Wine List Nobody Expects
East Village · Des Moines · Farm-to-table American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 12, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You walk into HOQ expecting the wine list to match the modest East Village zip code — a few California cabs, a safe Pinot Grigio, and you're done. Instead, you're looking at Austrian Grüner, Spanish Tempranillo blanc, and a sparkling from Burgenland. For Des Moines, this is a quiet act of rebellion.
Selection Deep Dive
Thirty to fifty bottles doesn't sound like much, but HOQ earns every slot. Spain, Austria, Italy, and Australia share real estate with a local Iowa producer — Jasper Winery — which signals that whoever built this list actually thought about it rather than just calling the Sysco rep. The Austrian and Spanish selections lean old-world and food-friendly, which makes sense given the farm-to-table menu. There are gaps — no serious red Burgundy, no deep domestic options — but for a restaurant of this size and price point, the intentionality is hard to argue with.
By the Glass
Eight-plus by-the-glass options in this price band ($13–$16) is genuinely solid. The fact that you can get the Meinklang 'Epic' Sparkling from Burgenland by the glass at a farm-to-table spot in Iowa is the kind of thing that makes you text a friend. The glass pour list skews toward lighter, food-compatible styles — which is exactly right for how this kitchen cooks.
Gorgo Chardonnay, Verona, Italy — $35–$49 (bottle)
Italian Chardonnay from Verona tends to be leaner and more mineral than its Burgundian cousins — less butter, more drive. At this price point, it's the kind of bottle that makes the table feel fancy without the check doing the same.
Jasper Winery Un-Oaked Seyval Blanc, Des Moines, Iowa
Most people will scroll past the Iowa wine without a second look, which is a mistake. Seyval Blanc is a hybrid grape that does surprisingly crisp, citrusy work in the right hands, and supporting a local Des Moines producer at a Des Moines restaurant is the whole point of a place like HOQ. Order it and brag about it later.
Col Di Luna 'Flora' Prosecco, Veneto, Italy
Prosecco is Prosecco. There's nothing wrong with it, but when the Meinklang 'Epic' Sparkling from Burgenland is sitting right next to it on the list, paying for a bottle of Flora feels like ordering a side salad at a barbecue joint. Skip it.
'Christina' Grüner Veltliner, Weinland, Austria + Wild Alaskan Salmon
Grüner Veltliner's white pepper snap and clean acidity cut right through the richness of salmon without fighting it. Austria's answer to food wine meets one of HOQ's best proteins — this is the move.
🎲 The Bottom Line
HOQ is doing something quietly impressive in a city that doesn't always demand it — a focused, globally curious wine list at prices that don't make you wince. If you're passing through Des Moines and care about what's in your glass, this is your dinner.
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