Hotel Wine List That Actually Tries
Greater Quad Cities / Nearby Illinois Side · Davenport · New American / Hotel Restaurant · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 9, 2026
RagingWine reviewed 5th Avenue Syndicate’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The list at 5th Avenue Syndicate reads like a greatest-hits compilation of familiar names — Caymus, Le Crema, Whitehaven — the kind of lineup that plays well in a hotel dining room without scaring anyone. It's approachable and competently assembled, which is more than you can say for most restaurants in this market. Don't come looking for discovery; come knowing exactly what you're getting.
Thirty labels anchored by California and New Zealand, with nods to Oregon, Argentina, and Spain rounding things out. The California presence is heavy and predictable — Caymus Cab at the top end, McNab Ridge and Bargetto filling the mid-range — but the inclusion of Argyle Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley shows at least a little range. The Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc double-dip (both Whitehaven and Wairau River) feels redundant when that real estate could've gone to a Burgundy or a Rhône. The Freixenet Cava is a smart, affordable bubbly anchor, though it's not exactly pushing anyone's buttons.
Twenty-seven of thirty labels available by the glass is genuinely impressive — almost the entire list is open, which is rare and worth acknowledging. Prices run $7 to $18 a glass, keeping things accessible. The rotation, however, appears static — there's no evidence of seasonal swaps or a rotating featured pour keeping things interesting.
Argyle Pinot Noir Willamette Valley — $17/glass
Argyle is a serious Oregon producer making wine that punches above its price point, and at $17 a glass in a hotel restaurant, you're drinking something with actual credibility. Skip the Caymus and go here.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling Columbia Valley
Nobody orders Riesling at a steakhouse. That's exactly why you should. Ste. Michelle is one of the most reliable Riesling producers in the country and this bottle almost certainly won't break the bank — it's the quiet overachiever on a list full of crowd-pleasers.
Caymus Cabernet Napa Valley
At $114 a bottle, you're paying a significant premium for a wine that's become more marketing engine than quality statement. Caymus coasts on its reputation, and hotel markups don't make that equation any better. The Argyle is a smarter spend.
Gascon Malbec Mendoza + Steak
Gascon Malbec at $13 a glass is built for exactly this situation — dark fruit, enough structure to stand up to red meat, and zero pretension. It's the no-brainer call when you're ordering off the steak section of a New American menu.
✔️ The Bottom Line
5th Avenue Syndicate is doing more than most hotel restaurants bother to do with wine — nearly everything is available by the glass, there are a few legitimate picks in the mix, and the pricing, while steep in spots, doesn't cross into outright insulting. Send a friend here if they want something familiar and competent; just steer them away from the Caymus.
Elmore Avenue · Davenport · Wine Bar & Lounge
The Grape Life is the kind of quietly good wine spot that Davenport probably doesn't fully appreciate yet. It's not trying to be a big-city wine bar, but it's doing more right than most — send a friend here on a Thursday with live music and let the flight menu do the work.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Davenport Village · Davenport · American Cafe, Bistro and Bar
Brew in the Village isn't trying to be a wine destination and it doesn't pretend to be — but Wednesday half-price wine with a food purchase is one of the better deals in Davenport, and the list is priced fairly enough that you won't feel gouged the other six nights. Send a friend here for a low-key weeknight dinner; just tell them to go on a Wednesday.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Central Davenport · Davenport · Mexican
Los Primos is a place you go for the food and the margaritas — the wine list is an afterthought and everyone involved seems to know it. Order the cocktails, be happy, and don't let the Merlot talk you into anything.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Davenport · Davenport · Seafood
Red Lobster's wine list exists to check a box, not to enhance your meal. Order the Riesling, enjoy the Cheddar Bay Biscuits, and save the serious wine drinking for somewhere that earned it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Davenport · Davenport · Steakhouse / American
Outback's wine list in Davenport is a chain doing the bare minimum — recognizable labels, steep markups, zero ambition. Come for the steak, order the Koonunga Hill if you must have wine, and save your serious wine spending for somewhere that earned it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Davenport · Davenport · Steakhouse, American
Come here for the steak and the rolls — they're genuinely good. But the wine program is an afterthought at best, and you're better off ordering a draft beer or skipping alcohol entirely than wrestling with this list.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.