What to Drink With Dinner at City Winery St. Louis
Updated for Fall 2026
St. Louis puts Provel on its pizza and deep fries it's ravioli, and the wine list at City Winery St. Louis is built to keep pace with both. Every tap wine here is made by City Winery's own winemakers, from fruit grown on Sonoma Mountain, in Mendocino and Lake County, and across the West Coast. What to Drink With Dinner is On Tap's twice-yearly pairing guide to each City Winery kitchen, and this St. Louis edition takes the whole meal into account: dish-by-dish pairings first, then five complete dinners, starter through dessert, with a glass chosen for every course.
Starters and Small Plates
Cheese & Charcuterie with City Bubbles Cava. Three meats, three cheeses, apricot mostarda, and fig jam put a lot of salt and sweetness on one board. A dry Cava from Penedès, with apple and spiced pear riding a fine stream of bubbles, clears the palate between every bite. If the table wants red, the Pinot Noir Reserve from the Willamette Valley reads savory and peppery before its cherry comes forward, which makes it a natural partner for cured meat.
Risotto Balls with CW Pinot Noir. Goat cheese and wild mushrooms want an earthy red. The spicy tomato sauce wants one with enough fruit to stay bright. The tap Pinot Noir covers both, with ripe cherry and raspberry up front and a touch of brown spice underneath.
Crab & Shrimp Dip with CW Chardonnay. Lump crab, shrimp, white cheddar, and a kick of sriracha make for a rich, warm dip. The Scopus Vineyard Chardonnay from Sonoma Mountain has the body to match it and enough acidity to reset the palate before the next piece of toasted baguette.
Dip Duo with CW Sauvignon Blanc. Spicy feta, hummus, crudité, and pita are exactly what an unoaked Sauvignon Blanc is for. The Lake County Sauvignon Blanc on tap is dry and citrusy, all lemon and star fruit, and it treats the raw vegetables like another garnish.
CW Wings, either way. Order the Buffalo Blanc and pour the Sauvignon Blanc, whose bright acidity keeps the heat in check. Order the Cherry Syrah BBQ and pour the tap Syrah, since the sauce and the glass share the same smoky, dark-fruit backbone.
Truffle Fries with City Bubbles Cava. Rosemary, parmesan, salt, and fat. Sparkling wine with fries is one of the most reliable pairings on any menu, and it asks nothing of you.
Salads
Kale Salad with CW Sauvignon Blanc. Curly kale and savoy cabbage carry a green bitterness that a zesty white lifts and a big red flattens. The spicy sunflower seed vinaigrette seals it.
Greek Farmers Salad with CW Rosé. Barrel-aged feta, kalamata olives, tomato, and red wine vinegar make a briny, bright plate. The Méditerranée Rosé brings strawberry, clementine, and watermelon to meet it, the same way it would on a patio in Provence.
Caesar Salad with CW Chardonnay. Reggiano and a creamy dressing call for a fuller white, and the Chardonnay's bright acidity keeps the pairing from getting heavy.
Adding a skewer changes the math a little. Grilled shrimp stays with the whites and the Rosé. Grilled steak on any salad is a good reason to order a glass of the Syrah.
Burgers, Sandwiches, and Pizza
CW Burger with CW Cabernet Sauvignon. An eight-ounce patty with American cheese and secret sauce is a job for the biggest red on tap. The North Coast Cabernet brings plum, blackberry, and black pepper, with a chewy finish that stands up to the char.
Syrah BBQ Smash Burger with CW Syrah. Bacon, cheddar, crispy onions, and Cherry Syrah BBQ. The Mendocino Syrah on tap is smoky and peppery, with blackberry jam and cocoa running through it, and it matches the sauce note for note.
Truffle Smash Burger with CW Pinot Noir. Madeira mushrooms, fontina, and truffle aioli are earthy and rich, so the glass goes earthy and bright. Mushrooms and Pinot Noir have been working together for about as long as either has existed.
Short Rib Grilled Cheese with CW Syrah. Braised short rib, Havarti dill, and creamy horseradish on rustic bread. The Syrah's dark fruit meets the braise, and its earthy finish holds its own against the horseradish.
Buffalo Crispy Chicken Sandwich or Chicken Tinga Tacos with CW Rosé. Heat wants something chilled and fruit-forward. The Rosé's rhubarb and watermelon cool things down between bites without disappearing behind the spice.
Meat Lovers Pizza with CW Syrah. Pepperoni, Italian sausage, bacon, and the tangy melt of Provel, the cheese St. Louis claims as its own. A peppery red with some smoke in it is the move.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza with CW Chardonnay. Béchamel and roasted garlic ranch make this a white pie, and a creamy Chardonnay with bright acidity is its natural partner.
Large Plates
Braised Short Rib with CW Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet's structure and dark fruit give a slow-cooked dish something to push against, and the gremolata's lemon and parsley keep the whole plate lively.
Spicy Rigatoni alla Vodka with CW Rosé. A spicy cream sauce fights with tannin and gets along with fruit. The Rosé stays cool against the heat and cuts through the cream.
Seared Salmon with CW Pinot Noir. Salmon and Pinot Noir is a classic because the wine has enough fruit for the fish and light enough tannin to leave it alone. The Chardonnay is a strong second choice for a table that leans white.
Lobster Ravioli with the Roussanne Reserve. Lobster cream, lump crab, and mascarpone call for a white with real weight. The Alder Springs Roussanne from Mendocino County is round and full, with apricot, baking spice, and toasted bread, and it meets the sauce at the same richness. For a brighter take, pour the Chardonnay Reserve.
14 oz New York Strip with the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Au poivre, garlic mashed potatoes, and baby carrots. The Obsidian Ridge Cabernet from Lake County opens with dark chocolate, leather, and ripe blueberry, and the peppercorn sauce draws out every bit of it. Ask your server for the Reserve Wine List.
Dessert
Bread Pudding with the Roussanne Reserve. Caramel sauce, chocolate crunch, and vanilla ice cream alongside a white wine that already carries butterscotch and caramel of its own. It sounds unexpected. One sip settles the question.
Skillet Cookie with Whiskey Barrel Aged Syrah. A warm chocolate chip cookie with ganache and vanilla ice cream, next to a Syrah aged in whiskey barrels until it tastes of bourbon, toffee, coffee, and dark cherry. Think of it as a nightcap and dessert arriving together.
Pistachio Tiramisu with City Bubbles Sweet Cava. Whipped Chantilly, chocolate, and pistachio are rich. A sweet Cava with flavors of apple and cream keeps the finish light on its feet.
Not ready for another glass? A double espresso or an Espresso Martini, made with City Winery's own cold brew, closes the meal just as well.
Five Tables, Start to Finish
Three courses and three glasses, each set built around the kind of night you're planning. Dessert shows up more than once across these tables, and that's the point: change the glass and the dish changes with it.
The Date Night
Start: Cheese & Charcuterie with City Bubbles Cava Main: Seared Salmon with CW Pinot Noir Finish: Pistachio Tiramisu with City Bubbles Sweet Cava
This dinner opens and closes on bubbles, with Pinot Noir carrying the middle. A half carafe of Pinot holds two glasses, which is exactly enough for the salmon and a little left over for the first few songs.
The Pre-Show Dinner
Start: Dip Duo with CW Sauvignon Blanc Main: Greek Farmers Salad with a grilled chicken skewer and CW Rosé Finish: Bread Pudding to share, with a glass of the Roussanne Reserve
Light enough to enjoy a full set in comfort, with a finish worth lingering over. The Sauvignon Blanc and the Rosé keep the first two courses bright, and the Roussanne turns dessert into the part of the night everyone talks about on the way out.
The Reserve Table
Start: Risotto Balls with the Reserve Flight Main: 14 oz New York Strip with the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Finish: Skillet Cookie with the Syrah Reserve
For the anniversary, the promotion, the birthday with a zero at the end. The Reserve Flight puts four reserve pours on the table (Chardonnay, Roussanne, Pinot Noir, and Syrah) so everyone can taste the range before the steak arrives. The Alder Springs Syrah Reserve closes it out with brown spice and vanilla that sit beautifully next to a warm cookie.
The Weeknight Burger
Start: Truffle Fries with City Bubbles Cava Main: Syrah BBQ Smash Burger with CW Syrah Finish: Skillet Cookie with Whiskey Barrel Aged Syrah
Sunday through Thursday, Burgers & Barrels pairs any burger with a glass of tap wine for $25, which makes this the easiest good dinner in the building. The Syrah matches the Cherry Syrah BBQ, and the whiskey barrel Syrah takes the same grape somewhere darker and sweeter for dessert.
The Group Table
Start: Bottle & Board: Cheese & Charcuterie with a growler of CW Rosé Main: Mushroom Truffle and Meat Lovers pizzas, with a Unique Reds flight passed around the table Finish: One of each dessert, with a round of City Bubbles Sweet Cava
Built for four or more. The Rosé works with everything on the board and carries into the pizzas, the Unique Reds flight lets the table compare Syrah, Zinfandel, and Merlot slice by slice, and a round of sweet bubbles gives every dessert on the table the same finish.
Before You Go
Every one of these dinners works whether the meal is the whole evening or the opening act, and each one tastes better with music in the room. Whether you're coming in from the Central West End, Webster Groves, or across the river, dinner and a show in St. Louis starts with a table and a glass poured by the people who made it.
Reserve a table at City Winery St. Louis and see what's on stage this season.