Desert Town Bar With Surprisingly Decent Wine
Downtown Marfa · Marfa · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 11, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Bar Saint George’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You're in Marfa — population 1,800, surrounded by high desert and Donald Judd installations — and the wine list at Bar Saint George is legitimately not embarrassing. That alone earns points. It's short, around 20-30 bottles, but there's actual intention here rather than the usual hotel bar afterthought.
The list leans Argentina, Italy, and Chile with a smattering of California producers like Hobo Wine Company throwing in some casual-cool credibility. You'll find the Felino lineup from Mendoza anchoring the reds — Chardonnay, Cab, and Malbec all represented — alongside a Deux Moulins Sauvignon Blanc and a Les Athletes du Vin Gamay that suggest someone actually thought about this. The gaps are real: no Spanish wines, no Rhône, nothing aged worth talking about. But for a bar in the middle of the Chihuahuan Desert, the curation punches above its weight class.
Fifteen options by the glass at $12–$16 is a genuinely generous pour program for a hotel bar anywhere, let alone one in far West Texas. The range covers bubbles, whites, rosé, and reds so you're not stuck choosing between two sad options. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority — this reads more like a fixed program — but the depth at this price point is hard to argue with.
2015 Vinalba Malbec Rosé Argentina — $12
A 2015 vintage rosé retailing around $18 poured for $12 a glass is basically a gift. There's age on this thing, which means you're getting complexity you absolutely did not expect to find in Marfa on a Tuesday.
2022 Les Athletes du Vin Gamay
Most people in this room are ordering the Felino Malbec or a margarita. The Gamay from Les Athletes du Vin is the smart play — light, food-friendly, and a producer with actual natural wine cred that feels wildly out of place on a hotel bar list, in the best possible way.
2023 Montesano Chardonnay Chile
Nothing wrong with it exactly, but in a list this short, with better whites available, an anonymous Chilean Chardonnay is the path of least resistance. The Hobo Camp Chardonnay or the Deux Moulins Sauv Blanc are both more interesting choices at similar prices.
2023 Felino Cabernet Sauvignon Argentina + HSG Cheeseburger
A Mendoza Cab with enough structure to cut through a proper cheeseburger is exactly the kind of no-brainer pairing that works every time. The Felino is approachable, fruit-forward, and won't fight the beef — it'll just make the whole thing taste more intentional than it probably was.
The Bottom Line
Bar Saint George isn't a wine destination, but it's a damn fine place to drink well while you debate whether the Judd sculptures are worth the drive. At these prices, in this zip code, we'd send a friend here without hesitation.
Hotel Saint George · Marfa · Farm-to-Table
St. George Restaurant isn't trying to be a wine destination — but it's trying harder than most places twice its size in cities ten times larger. If you're in Marfa, drink the Gamay, consider the Hobo, and appreciate that someone here actually thought about this list.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Hotel Saint George · Marfa · New American
LaVenture is punching well above its weight for a hotel restaurant in the middle of nowhere, and the by-the-glass program alone makes it worth sitting down for a pour. Not destination-worthy on the wine alone, but if you're already in Marfa, this is exactly where you want to drink.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown College Station · Marfa · American with Texan Twist
Marfa Texas Kitchen isn't a destination wine stop, but it's doing something genuinely interesting by centering Texas producers in a market that rarely bothers. If you're eating here, drink the Texas stuff — that's the whole point.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Davis Mountains · Marfa · Winery & Vineyard
Chateau Wright is a detour that earns its keep — a small, serious estate winery doing something genuinely rare in Texas, with a food truck, mountain views, and no delusions of grandeur. If you're anywhere near Marfa or Fort Davis, skipping it is the wrong call.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Marfa · Marfa · Small plates and wine bar
Alta Marfa is a Wild Card in the truest sense: it shouldn't exist at this level in a town this remote, and yet here we are. If you're passing through Marfa and you care even a little about wine, this is not optional.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Marfa · Marfa · Wine Bar
Alta Marfa is a one-winery show, and if you can get on board with that premise, it's one of the more singular wine experiences in Texas — or anywhere, frankly. Send a friend here if they're curious about what West Texas terroir actually tastes like.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Lake Geneva · New American
Turf. Kitchen + Tap looks like a solid resort wine program — broad enough geographically to suggest some genuine effort, casual enough in setting that nobody's going to quiz you on your order. We'd feel comfortable sending a friend here for a relaxed dinner with a decent glass of wine, but we'd stop short of calling it a destination for the list itself. Come for the views and the Choriqueso; the wine will take care of itself.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Sonoma · New American
El Dorado Kitchen isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's set up squarely in one, and the list reflects that self-awareness. Fair pricing, smart local representation, a few genuinely interesting outliers, and the full list available by the glass make this a reliable stop for a well-poured evening in Sonoma. If you're after a deep cellar or something truly adventurous, look elsewhere — but if you want to drink well without stress, this delivers.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · New American
Siren has a wine list that punches above its weight in a few key areas — particularly the by-the-glass whites and the Champagne bottle program — but the markup structure means you're spending real money to access it. If you're the kind of diner who wants to order Furmint on a Tuesday night in Atlanta, this is one of the few places that makes that possible, and that alone earns it a spot on the shortlist.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
