Matchstick Restaurant and Spirits
Small Town Address, Serious Wine Ambitions
Stillwater · Stillwater · Farm to Table · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You don't expect to find a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence list tucked into a rustic farmhouse-chic dining room on Main Street in Stillwater, but here we are. The list lands with some real weight — 200-plus bottles spanning California, France, and Italy — and the price range runs from approachable to genuinely serious. This is a wine program that clearly has someone at the wheel.
Selection Deep Dive
The backbone here is California Cabernet — Caymus, Jordan Alexander Valley, and Stag's Leap Cabs anchor the red side — which will keep the crowd happy without breaking a sweat. France shows up with Louis Jadot and Joseph Drouhin Burgundies, giving the list some old-world credibility beyond the crowd-pleasers. Italy is the real sleeper: Antinori Tignanello and Gaja Barbaresco are names you'd expect to find in a Chicago fine dining room, not next to a firepit in Stillwater. The list skews safe but earns its stripes in the premium tier.
By the Glass
Twenty to thirty-five options by the glass is genuinely strong for a restaurant at this price point in a smaller market — there's enough range that you don't feel boxed into one style all night. Pours run $12–$25, which is honest money for the quality on offer. We'd like to see more rotation to keep regulars engaged, but what's there is a solid snapshot of the bottle list.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley — $45–$65
Jordan routinely retails for $35–$45, so even at restaurant markup it represents real value for a polished, food-friendly Cab that overdelivers on name recognition without the Napa price snobbery.
Gaja Barbaresco, Piedmont
Most tables here are reaching for the Caymus without a second glance, which means the Gaja often sits quietly on the list. Barbaresco at this level is a genuinely rare find outside a major city wine bar — if you're splitting a bottle with someone who knows wine, this is the move.
Rombauer Chardonnay, Carneros
Rombauer is everywhere, marked up everywhere, and orders itself — it's a menu item masquerading as a wine selection. Fine juice, but you're paying for the label recognition and a restaurant knows it.
Joseph Drouhin Pinot Noir, Burgundy + Short Rib
Short rib wants something with enough red fruit and earthy depth to match the richness without overwhelming it — Drouhin's Burgundy Pinot walks that line cleanly, cutting through the fat while the umami of the braised meat makes the wine taste even better.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Matchstick is the kind of wine list that earns a double-take — a Wine Spectator-caliber program in a cozy riverside town where the bar is set much lower. Send a wine-curious friend here without hesitation; just steer them past the Rombauer.
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