Lake Views, Chianti, and Zero Pretense
Onalaska · La Crosse · American / Supper-Club Style · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed September 14, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Blue Moon Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list here is exactly what you'd expect from a cozy supper-club-style spot overlooking Lake Onalaska — it's short, familiar, and unambiguous about its intentions. Twenty-six labels, heavy on Italian and California crowd-pleasers, priced in a way that won't make you flinch. Nobody's trying to impress you, and honestly, that's fine.
The Italian section is the most interesting part of this list, which is saying something when it includes both Ruffino Chianti ($28) and the Ruffino Chianti Riserva Ducale ($45) side by side — that's actually a smart range to offer. Capezzana Super Tuscan at $35 and Villa Antinori Toscana at $39 give the list a little more backbone than the California side, which leans hard on Woodbridge, Crane Lake, and Blackstone. If you came here for a bold Napa Cab discovery, you're in the wrong room. The Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo at $29 is the one bottle that feels like a genuine nod to something slightly off the beaten path.
Twenty by-the-glass options out of 26 total labels is an unusually high ratio — basically the whole list pours by the glass, which is a genuine service to the casual diner who wants to explore without committing to a bottle. Prices run $9–$13 a glass, which is fair for La Crosse-area dining. The Col Di Sasso Sangiovese-Cabernet Blend at $10 a glass is the standout pour at that price point.
Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo — $29
At $29 a bottle, this is the list's most honest value — Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is reliably food-friendly and full of dark fruit, and Zaccagnini is a producer worth trusting. In a restaurant selling Woodbridge at $26-$27, choosing this instead feels like a minor victory.
Capezzana Super Tuscan
Most tables here are going to order the Ruffino Chianti on autopilot, which means the Capezzana Super Tuscan at $35 often gets ignored. It shouldn't — Capezzana is a legitimate Tuscan estate with serious credentials, and this is one of the better bottles on the list by a comfortable margin.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
At $45 a bottle, this is the most expensive wine on the list and one of the worst values. Santa Margherita is a reliable brand, but it's everywhere, it's pedestrian, and you can find it retail for $20. The markup here is hard to justify when there are better Italian options for $6–$16 less.
Col Di Sasso Sangiovese-Cabernet Blend + Friday Fish Fry
A lighter-bodied, fruit-forward Tuscan red cuts through the oil of a Friday fish fry without overwhelming the fish — and at $10 a glass, you can have two without guilt. The Sangiovese's natural acidity does the heavy lifting here.
The Bottom Line
Blue Moon is a dependable neighborhood spot that takes its wine list seriously enough to give you real options without overcomplicating things. Send a friend here if they want a lake view, a fair pour of Chianti, and no stress — just don't send them expecting adventure.
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Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· La Crosse · Hotel Restaurant / American
This is a wine list that exists because the hotel felt obligated to have one, not because anyone thought carefully about it. Order a beer or a cocktail and move on.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· La Crosse · Steakhouse / Smokehouse
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · La Crosse · French-Influenced New American
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Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· La Crosse · Italian / New American
SAGRA is doing something genuinely surprising for its geography: a tight, intentional natural wine list at fair prices in a mid-sized Wisconsin city. If you're passing through La Crosse and care about what's in your glass, this is not a place to walk past.
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.
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