The Oven
Tandoori and DRC in the Cornhusker State
Lincoln · Lincoln · Asian, Indian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You walk into an Asian-Indian restaurant in Lincoln, Nebraska, and the wine list lands on your table with 350-plus bottles anchored by Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Château Lynch-Bages. It takes a second to compute. This is not the list anyone expects here, and that is exactly the point.
Selection Deep Dive
The Oven has held a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence since 2010, and the list earns it — California and France dominate, with serious depth in Burgundy and Bordeaux sitting alongside German and Austrian selections that most restaurants in far larger cities don't bother stocking. Names like Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet, Trimbach Clos Sainte Hune, and Château Pichon Baron fill out a list that clearly has a point of view. Italy gets a seat at the table too, though the European heavyweights are the real story. With two sommeliers on staff — Chad Hoffman and Jordan Vanek — this list did not happen by accident.
By the Glass
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a serious by-the-glass program for any market, let alone Lincoln. Prices run $12 to $18, which is reasonable for the caliber of wine being served. The glass selection gives you a real entry point into the list without committing to a full bottle of something unfamiliar.
Trimbach Riesling Clos Sainte Hune — $40+ (bottle range entry)
Clos Sainte Hune is one of Alsace's most important wines and consistently underpriced relative to its Burgundy-tier peers. Finding it on a list in Nebraska at a restaurant entry price point is the kind of thing worth building a dinner around.
Trimbach Riesling Clos Sainte Hune
Most tables at The Oven will reach for the Caymus or the Kosta Browne without a second thought. The Clos Sainte Hune is the wine the sommeliers are quietly hoping someone orders — precise, electric, and a genuinely thrilling match for the kitchen's spice-forward cooking.
Caymus Vineyards Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus Special Selection is a crowd-pleaser and a prestige pour, but it is also one of the most marked-up wines in American restaurants. With Château Pichon Baron and Lynch-Bages on the same list, the Caymus is the safe, expensive choice that leaves a lot of wine on the table.
Trimbach Riesling Clos Sainte Hune + Tandoori lamb
The Clos Sainte Hune's high acidity and bone-dry precision cut right through the char and fat of tandoori lamb while the wine's aromatic intensity holds its own against the spice. It is the kind of pairing that makes you realize why someone built this list the way they did.
🎲 The Bottom Line
The Oven is the most surprising wine list in Nebraska and would be a legitimate destination in any city — a kitchen cooking bold, spice-driven food with a sommelier-driven cellar to back it up. Send your friends here and tell them to skip the Caymus.
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