Hotel Bar Done With Actual Effort
Penn State University Park campus · State College · Lounge · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 20, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed 1855 Lounge at The Nittany Lion Inn’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into the 1855 Lounge, you get the sense that someone cared — the renovated Nittany Lion Inn is handsome, the lounge feels grown-up for a college town, and the wine list arrives looking intentional. Then you actually read it and realize it's a tightly curated greatest-hits of recognizable brand names, which is exactly what a hotel lounge in Happy Valley is going to give you.
Sixteen-ish options, almost entirely by-the-glass or 187ml splits, spanning California, Italy, New Zealand, Argentina, and a nod to France via Moët. The producers — J. Lohr, Francis Ford Coppola, Franciscan, Gabbiano — are supermarket stalwarts that will never offend and never surprise. There's a decent geographic spread on paper, but don't confuse coverage for depth: this is a list built for guests who want something familiar after a long drive to see a Penn State game, not for anyone hunting a producer they haven't heard of. The one mild curveball is the Riporta Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, which at least gestures toward something with a bit more personality than the California cab parade.
Fourteen pours is a genuinely strong BTG count for a hotel lounge, and the 187ml split format is a smart move — let people try the Chandon Brut Rosé without committing to a full bottle mid-afternoon. Prices run $9 at the low end up to $24 for the Moët Impérial split, which is where the steep markup really starts to sting. There's no visible rotation or seasonal swap-out here — what you see is what you get, month after month.
J. Lohr White Bay Riesling, Monterey — $9
At the floor of the price range, this off-dry Monterey Riesling punches above its station in a lounge context. It's food-friendly, refreshing, and honestly the most interesting white on the list at the lowest possible entry point.
Riporta Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Everybody at this lounge is ordering the Franciscan Cab or the Malbec. The Montepulciano is the only wine on this list that doesn't feel like it was chosen by a committee — earthy, a little rustic, and a genuine change of pace from the California-centric red wall.
Moët & Chandon Impérial (187ml)
At $24 for a 187ml split — that's roughly a third of a standard bottle — you're paying a serious premium for the Moët name in a hotel lounge setting. The Chandon Brut Rosé split gets you three-quarters of the experience for less money. Save the Moët budget for an actual Champagne bar.
Daou Sauvignon Blanc, Paso Robles + Charcuterie Board
The Daou Sauvignon Blanc has enough citrus edge and structure to cut through cured meats and hard cheeses without getting lost — and at happy hour, when the charcuterie is half-price, this is the most sensible glass on the menu.
The Bottom Line
The 1855 Lounge is a reliable hotel wine stop that does the basics right — wide BTG selection, decent variety for a 16-SKU list, approachable in a way that fits the campus-adjacent crowd. Just don't come expecting discovery; come expecting a competent glass of something familiar in a genuinely nice room.
· State College · American / Gastropub
American Ale House isn't a wine destination, but it's a fair and functional wine list for what it is — a well-run gastropub in a college town. The Graham's Port lineup alone earns it a pass, and the glass prices won't leave you feeling taken.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· State College · Italian-inspired Fine Dining
Grace at Carnegie House is doing more than the average Happy Valley fine dining room bothers to do with wine — the Karthäuserhof, the Cahors, and the Tua Rita prove that — but the list is still too short and too safe to be a destination for wine lovers. Come for the food; order carefully and you'll drink well enough.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· State College · New American / Distillery Restaurant
Barrel 21 is a distillery restaurant and the wine list knows its place — which is firmly in the backseat. Come here for the spirits, stay if you must for a J Lohr or the Trapiche Malbec, but don't expect anyone behind the bar to have an opinion about any of it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Atherton · State College · Steakhouse / American
Texas Roadhouse is not a wine destination and makes no pretense of being one — the food is the point, and the wine list is a legal obligation. Order a beer, enjoy the rolls, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that earned it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Atherton · State College · Italian Chain
Olive Garden's wine list exists to check a box, not to enhance a meal — it's corporate, static, and marked up past the point of good value. Order the Chianti Classico if you must, but honestly, grab the cocktail menu instead.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Boalsburg · State College · American
The Butter Churn is doing something genuinely surprising for central Pennsylvania — a thoughtful, well-sourced wine list that goes beyond the expected and rewards the curious drinker. If you're anywhere near State College and care about what's in your glass, this deserves a visit.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Heaven Hill · Bardstown · Lounge
If you're at Bardstown Bourbon Company, drink bourbon — the wine list here is not the reason you came and it won't give you a reason to revisit. The pricing is fair and the pours are inoffensive, but this is a lounge that's made its priorities abundantly clear.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Lake Shore Drive · Lake Geneva · Lounge
The Geneva Inn Lounge isn't a wine destination, and it doesn't need to be — it's a waterfront spot with honest pours, fair prices, and a list that gets the job done without embarrassing anyone. Send your friends here for sunset drinks, not for a deep-dive tasting.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lake Coeur d'Alene · Coeur d'Alene · Lounge
Cedar's earns its Wild Card badge not because the list is revolutionary, but because a 120-label program with local Idaho pours and a sommelier on staff is the last thing you expect from a tourist-magnet floating lounge. Send your friends here, point them toward the Coeur d'Alene Cellars glass pours, and let the lake do the rest of the work.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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