Lake Geneva's Surprisingly Deep Wine Detour
Downtown Lakefront · Lake Geneva · Wine Bar / American Bistro · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Barrique Bistro & Wine Bar’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walk into a lakefront wine bar in a Wisconsin resort town and you expect a wall of uninspired California cabs and prosecco by the pitcher. Barrique surprises you — the list opens with some genuinely interesting names, and the sheer volume of by-the-glass pours signals that someone here actually thought about this. It's not perfect, but it's punching well above its zip code.
Eighty labels with legitimate range: you've got Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris from Alsace sitting next to Kermit Lynch Beaujolais and a Domaine Fouassier Sancerre, which is more than most wine bars in major cities bother with. The trophy shelf is real — Opus One, Dominus, Antinori Tignanello, Cardinale, even Cristal and Dom P if you're celebrating — but those exist mostly to impress people who recognize labels. The more interesting plays are the mid-list European picks like the La Scolca Black Label Gavi and Bouchard Père & Fils Pouilly-Fuissé, which suggest someone has at least a passing interest in things that don't have Napa on the label. The gaps: not much southern hemisphere representation, and the list skews heavily toward the expected crowd-pleaser regions despite a few bright spots.
The headline here is that all 80 bottles are available by the glass — that's either brilliant accessibility or a logistical nightmare for wine quality, depending on how well they're managing open bottles. Glass prices run $8–$17, which is reasonable for the market, and the range means you can drink the Sancerre or the Kermit Lynch Beaujolais without committing to a full bottle on a Tuesday lakeside.
Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2022 — $38
At $38 a bottle, this Marlborough SB is the most honest price on the list — retail hovers around $15–18, so the markup is real, but it's the least punishing option in a lineup where bottles escalate fast. Crisp, crowd-friendly, and won't make you wince when the check comes.
Domaine Fouassier Sur le Fort Sancerre 2022
Most people at a lakefront bistro are going to reach for something familiar. Don't. The Fouassier Sancerre is a serious producer making textbook Loire Sauvignon Blanc with real minerality and focus — at $76 it's not cheap, but it's the kind of wine that actually belongs on a list like this and gets overlooked because nobody's Instagramming it.
Opus One Red Blend 2019
Listed at $395, and while Opus One is undeniably impressive, you're paying serious resort-town markup on a wine you can find at retail for around $250–280. This is a vanity order, not a value play — if you want Napa prestige without the full penalty, there are better moves on this list.
Kermit Lynch Beaujolais + Charcuterie Board
Kermit Lynch's Beaujolais selections are typically Cru-level or close to it — light, fruity, with enough acidity and earthy character to cut through cured meats and rich cheeses without overwhelming them. It's the most naturally food-friendly bottle on the list, and it's exactly what a charcuterie board is asking for.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Barrique is doing more than it has to in a town where most people are drinking whatever's on draft. The markups are steep and the trophy bottles are more for show, but the range of by-the-glass options and a handful of genuinely interesting European selections make it worth a stop — especially if you're willing to dig past the Napa wall.
Lake Como / The Ridge Hotel · Lake Geneva · American
Crafted Americana's wine program is resort-standard in the fullest sense: recognizable, priced for convenience, and unlikely to generate any complaints or any real excitement. If you're at The Ridge for the weekend and want a solid glass of Cab with your prime rib, you'll be fine — just don't come expecting a discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Highway 50 corridor (east of downtown Lake Geneva) · Lake Geneva · Steakhouse / Seafood / Supper Club
Anthony's isn't a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — but for a Wisconsin supper club on a Friday night, the list is honest, the prices are fair, and the Washington State focus gives it just enough personality to keep things interesting. Send your parents here and order the Syrah.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Williams Bay / Highway 67 corridor · Lake Geneva · Fine Dining French
Opus is the rare fine dining wine program in the Midwest that earns the label without hedging — 346 bottles deep, French-focused, and staffed by someone who clearly knows what they're doing. The markups will sting, but for a special occasion in lake country, this is exactly where you want to be drinking.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Delavan (Greater Geneva Area) · Lake Geneva · Fine Dining / New American
1878 on the Lake is a solid resort restaurant doing exactly what resort restaurants do — safe selections, reliable producers, and a markup that subsidizes those lakefront views. We'd send a friend here for a nice night out on the water, but we'd tell them to skip the Reserve and order the Rosé.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Delavan (Greater Geneva Area) · Lake Geneva · American / Resort
If you're here for the lake views and a burger, order a cocktail and don't stress the wine list — it's not why you came. But if wine actually matters to you, the Lookout's list is the kind of set-it-and-forget-it program that makes you wish you'd packed a bottle to leave at the front desk.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lake Como · Lake Geneva · American / Supper Club
Mars Resort is a great place to drink a cold glass of something while live music plays and the lake does all the heavy lifting — but don't come here expecting a wine program that cares as much as you do. Order the Bisol, enjoy the view, and save the serious bottle for somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Billings · Wine Bar / American Bistro
Bin 119 is the kind of place downtown Billings is lucky to have — a genuine wine bar effort in a market that could easily get away with coasting. Under new ownership, it's worth watching; for now, it earns a reliable night out.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Fort Vancouver / Officers Row · Vancouver · Wine Bar / American Bistro
Willful Wine at The Grant House is a genuinely surprising find: a winery-run bistro in a historic landmark that takes its wine program seriously and doesn't overcharge you for the atmosphere. If you're in Vancouver and want something more interesting than a chain steakhouse list, this is the move.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.