Wisconsin wine country, right in Green Bay
Downtown / Astor Historic District Β· Green Bay Β· Winery tasting room with light bites Β· Visit Website β
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk Β· July 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Captain's Walk Wineryβs wine list and gave it The Wild Card β RagingWineβs Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists β
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Captain's Walk feels less like a restaurant wine list and more like a winery portal drop you somewhere in Door County β except you're on Adams Street in downtown Green Bay. The focus is entirely house-made: every bottle on the list comes from Captain's Walk or its sister label von Stiehl, which is either refreshing or limiting depending on what you came for. If you showed up expecting a global tour, recalibrate fast.
The portfolio runs 15β25 labels across whites, reds, fruit wines, and dessert bottlings β all Wisconsin-made, all estate-produced. Cold-hardy grape varieties like Marquette and Frontenac Gris anchor the serious end of the list, while von Stiehl Cherry and Apple wines cover the crowd-pleasing fruit wine flank that Wisconsin tasting rooms live and die by. There's no Old World depth here, no Burgundy hidden in the back, no California cameos β this is a single-producer list and it commits to that identity completely. The range is genuinely thoughtful within its lane, hitting dry, off-dry, sweet, and fortified styles without feeling like a grab bag.
Roughly 10β15 wines pour by the glass at $6β$9, which is a rare place in 2024 where you can order a second glass without mentally recalculating your mortgage. Tasting flights are the move here β they're structured, staff-guided, and give you a real feel for what Wisconsin viticulture can actually do. Rotation appears limited since everything is house wine, but the flight format keeps it from feeling stale.
Captain's Walk Marquette NV β $24/bottle
Marquette is Wisconsin's most serious red grape β think light-to-medium body with dark fruit and a little edge β and at $24 a bottle with a retail price of $20, the markup is practically nonexistent. This is the bottle you bring to the table to prove Wisconsin makes real red wine.
Captain's Walk Frontenac Gris
Most people walk past anything they can't pronounce and head straight for the Cherry Wine. Don't. Frontenac Gris is a cold-climate white grape that produces something genuinely interesting β floral, a little wild, nothing like your grocery store Pinot Grigio. It's the bottle that tells you something true about where you are.
von Stiehl Apple Wine
It's fine, it's fun, and your aunt will love it β but if you're here to actually explore what this winery can do with grapes, the Apple Wine is a detour into novelty territory. Save the glass pour for something with a vine behind it.
Captain's Walk Crimson Royale + Wisconsin cheese and sausage board
Crimson Royale is built sweet and fruit-forward, which sounds like a problem until you put it next to a sharp Wisconsin cheddar and a slice of summer sausage. The richness of the cheese pulls the wine's sweetness into balance β it's the classic contrast play, and it works every time on a board like this.
π² The Bottom Line
Captain's Walk is the rare case where a single-producer tasting room earns genuine respect β fair prices, knowledgeable staff, and a list that takes Wisconsin viticulture seriously. Send a curious friend here, especially one who thinks Midwest wine is a punchline.
East River / De Pere Road Corridor Β· Green Bay Β· Classic American Supper Club / Steak and Seafood
The English Inn's wine list isn't going to win any awards, but it's priced honestly, covers the bases for a classic steak-and-seafood crowd, and that Tawny Port alone is worth the trip. Send your supper club-loving friends here without hesitation β just don't send the natural wine obsessives.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Green Bay Β· Green Bay Β· Sushi / Japanese
Come to Sushi Lover for the sushi β the wine list is clearly not the point and nobody's pretending otherwise. If you're drinking wine tonight, stick to the rosΓ© or the plum wine and save the serious bottle for a restaurant that cares.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Stadium District / Titletown Β· Green Bay Β· Upscale American / Rooftop
Taverne in the Sky is a perfectly competent hotel wine list with a knockout view as its wingman β fair prices on the accessible end, solid big-name bottle selection, and enough range to keep a mixed table happy. We wouldn't make a special trip for the wine alone, but if you're already there watching the Packers light up across the street, you won't be drinking badly.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
West Side / Oneida Street Β· Green Bay Β· Upscale American Steakhouse & Seafood
1951 West is a safe, competent wine destination for steakhouse loyalists who want familiar California heavyweights without any curveballs. If you're chasing discovery, look elsewhere β but if you're ordering a ribeye and want a bottle that won't let you down, Jordan or Caymus will carry the night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Side Β· Green Bay Β· Casual American
TGI Fridays Green Bay is not a wine destination β it's a place where wine is an afterthought flanked by endless appetizer deals and frozen cocktails. If you're here, get the happy hour $5 pours, drink the Ste. Michelle Riesling or La Crema Pinot Noir, and save your wine ambitions for somewhere that has them too.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Occasional
Acceptable
East Side Β· Green Bay Β· American Steakhouse
LongHorn is a perfectly fine place to eat a steak in Green Bay β just don't expect the wine list to keep up with the kitchen. Order a cocktail, split a bottle of the Malbec if you must, and save the serious wine drinking for somewhere that cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Historic Square Β· McKinney Β· Winery tasting room with light bites
Landon Winery McKinney isn't trying to out-list anyone β it's a focused, fairly priced Texas winery experience that earns serious goodwill on markup alone. Come on a Wednesday and you'll be talking about it for a week.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Southeast Lubbock Β· Lubbock Β· Winery tasting room with light bites
If you think Texas wine is still playing catch-up, English Newsom Cellars will quietly adjust your priors. Come for the Tempranillo, stay for the view, and stop sleeping on what the High Plains can do.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
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