Solid pours for State Street sushi nights
Downtown / Capitol Square · Madison · Sushi / Japanese · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 10, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Red Sushi is compact and clearly not the star of the show — sake and Japanese beer hold that crown. But flip past the cocktails and you'll find a short, reasonably priced selection that doesn't embarrass itself, plus a few genuinely interesting fortified and dessert options that most people at this kind of spot completely ignore.
The list leans California and New Zealand for the table wine side of things, which is a sensible call for a downtown crowd that wants something familiar with their spicy tuna rolls. What's more interesting is the dessert and fortified wing: Rare Wine Co. Malmsey Madeira, Warre's Ruby and Tawny Port, and a Château Laribotte Sauternes give this list more personality than a 107 State St. address might suggest. The Kinsen Plum Wine rounds out the Japanese theme nicely. Don't expect deep regional exploration or small-producer discoveries — this is a supporting cast, not a headliner.
The by-the-glass program runs around 6-12 options with prices landing between $7 and $13, which is refreshingly honest for a downtown Madison spot used to a captive university crowd. The fortified and dessert pours are the sleeper hit here — the Madeira and Sauternes by the glass are priced at $14-15, which is reasonable given what you're getting. Rotation appears minimal; this list is set and left alone.
Rare Wine Co. Malmsey Madeira NV — $15/glass
A $65 retail bottle poured by the glass at $15 is legitimately one of the better per-ounce deals on this list. Malmsey is the richest, most approachable style of Madeira — honeyed, nutty, with enough acidity to stay lively. Most people walk right past it. Don't.
Château Laribotte Sauternes 2022
A Sauternes on a sushi list is an odd duck, but it earns its spot. At $14 a glass, it's an approachable entry into one of Bordeaux's most underrated sweet wine appellations, and it holds up surprisingly well alongside anything with a spicy or umami-forward profile on the menu.
Kinsen Plum Wine NV
At $10 a glass on a $13 retail bottle, the markup math here isn't the worst, but plum wine at a sushi restaurant is the path of least resistance — it's on every list, it rarely surprises, and you can do better elsewhere on this menu for the same money.
Rare Wine Co. Malmsey Madeira NV + specialty sushi rolls
Sounds counterintuitive until you taste it. Malmsey's oxidative richness and bright acidity cut through the richness of creamy, spicy rolls and play off soy and sesame in a way that a standard Chardonnay just doesn't. It's the conversation starter your table didn't know it needed.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Red Sushi isn't a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — but the fortified and dessert options give it more credibility than most comparable spots downtown. Come for the sushi, stay for the Madeira.
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