Greek Wine Education in America's Heartland
Appleton · Appleton · Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Apollon Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You don't expect to find Thymiopoulos Naoussa and Zacharias Assyrtiko on a wine list in Appleton, Wisconsin — and yet, here we are. The list is compact at 46 labels, but whoever built it clearly has a point of view. This is a Greek wine list with a genuine Greek soul, not just a token Assyrtiko bolted onto a generic Mediterranean menu.
The Greek producers are the real draw here — Thymiopoulos, Alpha Estate, Papaioannous, Tsantali, and Amethystos represent some serious buying for a mid-size city restaurant. You've got Xinomavro from Naoussa, Malagouzia from Alpha Estate, Limnio from Anatolikos — grapes that most wine lists in New York wouldn't touch. California, France, Spain, and Argentina fill out the gaps for guests who aren't ready to venture into indigenous Greek varieties, which is fine. The weakness is the Champagne section: one Drappier at $95 doesn't give you much room to maneuver.
Ten options by the glass with a price window of $7–$9 is genuinely accessible — that's a rare thing to say. We don't have the full BTG breakdown, but if the pours reflect the bottle list's Greek-forward identity, there's real discovery potential here for guests willing to ask what's on. The floor pricing is low enough that ordering around a table to explore different regions isn't going to wreck anyone's evening.
Benton Lane Pinot Noir 2021 — $36
The lowest-priced bottle on the list from a solid Oregon producer — Benton Lane consistently punches above its price in retail, and at $36 this is the easiest entry point if you're not ready to explore the Greek side of the menu.
Anatolikos Limnio 2019
Limnio is one of Greece's oldest documented grape varieties and almost nobody orders it. It's got structure, a savory edge, and a story that most wine lists in the country won't let you tell. This is the bottle to order if you want something your entire social circle has never tasted.
Drappier Carte d'Or Brut
At $95, this is the only Champagne on the list and it's a house-entry cuvée that retails for well under $40. Drappier is a perfectly good grower house, but paying this kind of markup for their entry-level Carte d'Or when you could be drinking interesting Greek bottles for half the price is a tough sell.
Zacharias Assyrtiko 2022 + Grilled Octopus
Assyrtiko's high acidity and saline mineral edge were practically engineered for grilled seafood — it cuts through the char and brightens the briny sweetness of octopus in a way that a California Chardonnay simply cannot. This is the pairing that makes the whole Greek wine concept click.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Apollon is doing something legitimately unusual — building a real Greek wine program in a mid-size Midwestern city — and the list deserves more credit than it'll probably get. Markups on the French bottles are hard to justify, but if you stay in the Greek section and keep your spending focused, you'll drink better and more interestingly than almost anywhere else in Appleton.
Unknown · Appleton · Brazilian Steakhouse (Churrascaria)
Texas de Brazil is about the meat, full stop — and the wine list makes no effort to pretend otherwise. Come for the endless churrasco, but don't come here expecting the wine to keep up with the kitchen.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Greater Appleton / Fox Cities · Appleton · Winery Bistro
LaBelle Winery Fox Cities is a genuine Wild Card in the Appleton dining scene — a focused, single-producer list of cold-hardy grapes you won't find anywhere else in town. Send a friend who's curious and open-minded; skip it if they need a Cabernet.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Appleton · Appleton · Italian
Carmella's is the kind of place that has no business having this good a wine list — and that's meant as a compliment. The markups on the top-shelf bottles sting, but the depth and seriousness of the Italian selection alone make it worth a visit for anyone who wants to drink well in Wisconsin.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Appleton · Appleton · Italian
Victoria's isn't a wine destination, but the prices are honest, the Italian picks are legitimate, and a $10 Chianti Riserva with a massive plate of pasta is a genuinely good night out. Send your friends here if they want comfort food and an easy bottle — just don't expect anyone to geek out over the list with you.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Appleton · Appleton · Japanese
Katsu-Ya is a perfectly solid Japanese restaurant where the wine list exists as an obligation, not a feature. Come for the katsu and ramen, order sake or a Sapporo, and if you must have wine, grab the Koshu and move on.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Appleton · Brewpub / American
Stone Arch earns its reputation on craft beer, full stop — the wine list is a courtesy offering for whoever at the table doesn't drink beer, not a reason to come in thirsty for something from a bottle. Order a pint, enjoy the atmosphere, and save your wine ambitions for another night.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Tyler · Tyler · Mediterranean
Bernard is a legit Wild Card — nobody expects a casual Mediterranean spot in East Texas to be hiding Gaja and Oregon Pinot Noir between the gyro plates, but here we are. If you're in Tyler and want a real wine list with a meal that costs less than the corkage fee at a white-tablecloth spot, this is the move.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central McAllen · McAllen · Mediterranean
The kitchen is clearly doing its job — the wine list just isn't. Skip the bottle, order a cocktail, and hope the restaurant rethinks this list before your next visit.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Naperville · Naperville · Mediterranean
Vasili's isn't trying to be a wine destination, but the Greek-focused list has enough genuine producers and interesting grapes to reward curious drinkers — especially on Tuesdays when the bottles go half-price. Watch the markups on the Agiorgitiko, lean into the northern Greek reds and the Malagousia, and you'll eat and drink very well along that riverwalk.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
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