Great View, Grocery Store Wine List
Downtown Riverfront · Oshkosh · Contemporary American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Becket's’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Becket's has a genuinely nice setup — riverfront views, relaxed atmosphere, solid food menu — and then you open the wine list and it's basically the shelf at a Walgreens with a 130% markup. The list reads like someone called a distributor once, said 'yeah, those brands are fine,' and never revisited it.
The list leans hard on California supermarket staples: Robert Mondavi Private Selection, Columbia Crest Grand Estates, Kendall-Jackson, Barefoot, Beringer White Zinfandel. These aren't wines anyone is seeking out — they're wines people recognize from a gas station cooler. There's no regional curiosity here, no small producers, no nod to the Midwest wine scene. For a contemporary American restaurant with actual ambition on the food side, the wine program is punching well below its weight class.
You're looking at 8–12 options by the glass, which sounds decent until you realize the entire list is drawn from the same shallow pool of mass-market labels. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority — this feels like a static list that hasn't changed in a while. The Wednesday $17 bottle special is the most interesting thing happening here, and even that is a low bar.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay — $30
At 100% markup it's the least egregious pricing on the list, and KJ Chard is at least a known, consistent bottle. Not exciting, but if you're drinking Chardonnay with pasta, it won't embarrass you.
Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay
Washington State sneaking into an otherwise all-California lineup. It's still a grocery store brand, but Grand Estates over-delivers for what it is — crisper and more food-friendly than the California alternatives on this list.
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon
A $13 retail bottle marked up to $32 is a 146% premium for a wine that's ubiquitous, forgettable, and built for grocery store end caps. There is no version of this being worth it.
Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay + Pasta dishes
The Columbia Crest has enough acidity to cut through a cream-based pasta without getting lost in it — it's the most food-functional pour on the list for Becket's kitchen.
❌ The Bottom Line
Come for the river views and the burgers, and seriously consider ordering a cocktail instead. The wine list here is an afterthought dressed up with familiar labels and steep markups, and no amount of good atmosphere fixes a $32 Mondavi Private Selection.
Highway 41 / South Side corridor · Oshkosh · Steakhouse
Delta Steakhouse is here for the steak, full stop — the wine list is functional set dressing, not a destination in itself. Come for the prime rib, order a beer if you're watching your wallet, and save the serious bottle for somewhere that earned it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East / Northeast Oshkosh · Oshkosh · American Casual Dining
Applebee's isn't trying to be a wine destination and it shows in every corner of this list — but if you're here for the Boneless Wings and want something cold in a glass, Kim Crawford gets the job done and the prices won't hurt you. Don't come here for wine; order a beer.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Side Oshkosh · Oshkosh · Seafood
Red Lobster's wine program exists to check a box, not to enhance your dinner — the markups are steep, the list is frozen in 2009, and the staff is not here to help you navigate it. Stick to the cocktails or bring a bottle if they allow corkage; either way, the wine is not the reason you're here.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central / Oshkosh Avenue corridor · Oshkosh · Takeout Wings / Sports Bar Lite
Order a beer. If someone at the table insists on wine, point them toward the cava and change the subject. Buffalo Wild Wings GO in Oshkosh is not a wine destination, and pretending otherwise does nobody any favors.
Grocery Store
Steep
Red Flag
MIA
Set & Forget
Hot Mess
West Side Oshkosh · Oshkosh · American / Burgers
Red Robin's wine program exists because a full bar technically requires wine, not because anyone here cares about it. Order the Riesling, eat your burger, and save the real wine conversation for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Side Oshkosh · Oshkosh · Steakhouse
Texas Roadhouse is here for the steak, the rolls, and the line dancing — and that's fine. The wine list is a corporate placeholder that nobody on staff can speak to and nobody in the kitchen designed the menu around. Drink the beer, enjoy the sirloin, and save the wine night for somewhere that earned it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Monocacy River / Southeast Frederick Outskirts · Frederick · Contemporary American
Monocacy Crossing is a reliable date-night wine list in a genuinely charming setting — it won't dazzle you, but it won't embarrass you either. If you're driving out to Frederick for a special occasion, let the kitchen do the heavy lifting and pick something off the Cali reds without overthinking it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Presidio/Arts District · Santa Barbara · Contemporary American
Wine Cask is the rare restaurant where the wine list is the main event and the kitchen still holds its own. If you're in Santa Barbara and you care even a little about what's in your glass, this is where you eat.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Royal Palm Place / Downtown · Boca Raton · Contemporary American
TwentyTwenty Grille isn't trying to be a wine destination, but its dessert program alone is worth the detour, and the everyday list is honest and fairly priced. Send a friend here if they appreciate a curated experience over an encyclopedic list — just steer them toward the Riesling and tell them to save room for Port.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.