Big List, Bigger Markups, Buyer Beware
Downtown · Milwaukee · American, Steakhouse, Seafood, Contemporary · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 30, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Two hundred and thirty bottles in a sleek Cudahy Tower dining room with a sommelier on the floor — on paper, this should be a home run. The list looks impressive at first glance, with some genuinely interesting choices scattered among the usual suspects. But the moment you start cross-referencing prices, the shine comes off fast.
The 230-bottle list has real range, touching California, South Africa, and Europe with enough depth to keep a curious drinker busy. There are legitimately interesting picks here — the Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse from Western Cape and the Emmerich Knoll Pfaffenberg Riesling show someone with actual taste built this list. But the selection also leans on crowd-pleasing brands like The Prisoner Wine Company that charge restaurant prices for grocery-store wine. The bones are good; the execution gets greedy.
By-the-glass specifics aren't published, which is its own kind of red flag at a restaurant charging these prices — you should know what you're walking into before you sit down. With a sommelier on staff and a $$$$ price point, we'd expect a rotating glass program that actually showcases the list's more interesting corners, but there's no evidence that's happening.
Emmerich Knoll Ried Pfaffenberg Riesling 2017 — $55
A 57% markup is practically charitable compared to everything else on this list. Knoll is one of the Wachau's great producers, and a 2017 with some age on it at $55 is the closest thing to a fair deal Bacchus offers. Grab it.
Thorne & Daughters 'Rocking Horse' White Blend 2022
Most Milwaukee diners are going to skip right past a South African white blend and land on a California Chardonnay. That's a mistake. Thorne & Daughters makes thoughtful, textured wines from the Western Cape that punch well above their category — and this one's worth the detour.
Pali Wine Company Wild Series White Blend 2022
A 221% markup — $90 on a $28 retail bottle — is not a pricing strategy, it's a shakedown. Pali is a perfectly fine everyday California wine, and paying three times its worth at a nice dinner is exactly the kind of move Bacchus is hoping you won't notice.
Thorne & Daughters 'Rocking Horse' White Blend 2022 + Faroe Island Salmon
The Rocking Horse is a textured, slightly saline white with enough body to stand up to the richness of salmon without bulldozing it. It's the kind of pairing that feels effortless — bright acid, subtle fruit, fish that doesn't get lost.
❌ The Bottom Line
Bacchus has the ingredients for a great wine program — serious list, knowledgeable staff, proper setting — but the markup structure on a significant chunk of the list is hard to overlook. Come for the Knoll Riesling, skip The Prisoner, and make sure someone at your table is paying attention.
Downtown · Milwaukee · Brazilian Steakhouse
Rodizio Grill Milwaukee is a genuinely fun night out if you're there for the meat and the spectacle — but the wine list is coasting on the restaurant's momentum rather than adding anything to it. Order the Gaucho Club, enjoy the picanha, and save your serious wine budget for somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Riverwalk · Milwaukee · Japanese sushi and Asian fusion
Screaming Tuna isn't a wine destination, but it's a sushi spot with a wine list that actually respects the food it's serving — and in Milwaukee, that's worth calling out. Take a chance on the Alsatian whites or the sake program and you'll leave happy.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lower East Side · Milwaukee · French and Italian Riviera-Inspired Fine Dining
Lupi & Iris is doing something genuinely rare in Milwaukee — a wine program with depth, a sommelier who runs real events, and markup that doesn't make you feel like a mark. Send your friends here, and tell them to book early for the DRC dinner.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
Downtown · Milwaukee · Seafood-focused Contemporary American
Third Coast Provisions has a genuinely thoughtful wine list for a city that doesn't always demand one — the Burgundy focus is earned, the staff knows what they're doing, and the seafood menu gives those whites every opportunity to shine. The markup keeps it from being a destination for wine alone, but if you're already here for the food, you're in good hands.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Northwest Side · Milwaukee · Italian, Handmade Pasta, Wine Bar
Ca'Lucchenzo is the kind of place that makes you wonder why every Italian restaurant doesn't just commit to Italy this hard on the wine side. It's not a deep cellar, but it's a focused, honest list that actually fits the food — send your friends here and tell them to skip the cocktail.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Brookfield · Milwaukee · Upscale American Steakhouse
Mr. B's is exactly what it promises — a polished, reliable steakhouse wine list that hits all the expected marks without a single surprise. Send a friend here if they want a sure thing; send them somewhere else if they want to be excited.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
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