Lexington's Classiest Wine Room, Done Right
Downtown / Gratz Park · Lexington · New American / Southern
Reviewed June 4, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Jonathan at Gratz Park, the wine list feels like it belongs to the room — a historic inn with enough gravitas to back up a serious selection. A dedicated sommelier is on staff, which immediately signals that someone here actually gives a damn. The list runs 100-200 bottles deep, skewing California-heavy but with enough Old World presence to keep things interesting.
The list leans hard into California with familiar names like Jordan and Caymus anchoring the reds, and Sonoma-Cutrer doing its dependable work on the white side. Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhône Valley, and Italy fill out the supporting cast — not a wild ride, but a well-organized one. The regional coverage is solid for Lexington, a market where most restaurants haven't moved much beyond the grocery store shelf. What this list lacks in adventurousness it makes up for in coherence — every bottle feels deliberately chosen rather than just thrown on a page.
With 15-25 options by the glass, there's genuine range here — enough that you won't be stuck choosing between two forgettable Cabs. The sommelier's presence likely keeps the glass pours from getting stale, though we didn't find evidence of active rotation or a structured BTG program. Still, for Lexington, this is one of the more thoughtful by-the-glass menus you'll encounter.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — null
Jordan is a perennial overachiever in the Sonoma/Bordeaux-style category — structured, food-friendly, and well-priced relative to its peers when a restaurant doesn't go crazy on the markup. At Jonathan, it's the kind of bottle that works for a business dinner or a date night without requiring a second mortgage.
Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay
Most people at this price point reach for something bolder or more recognizable, but Sonoma-Cutrer's Russian River Ranches bottling is a genuinely precise, cool-climate Chardonnay that punches above its reputation. It gets overlooked because the label doesn't scream prestige — order it anyway.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is fine. It's also on every restaurant wine list in America, marked up to a point where you're paying premium prices for a brand that's coasting on name recognition. You can find it at the grocery store. At a restaurant with a sommelier, you should be drinking something they actually had to think about.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon + Classic American roasted meat entrée
Jordan's structured tannins and dark fruit profile are built for a well-seasoned cut of beef or braised short rib — the kind of Southern-American comfort food Jonathan does well. It softens into the dish rather than fighting it.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Jonathan at Gratz Park is the kind of reliable wine room you'd expect from a historic inn with a real sommelier — competent, well-stocked, and leaning safe. Pricing is on the steeper side and the list won't surprise you, but in Lexington, this is still one of the better places to order a full bottle with dinner.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.