Water Views, Local Pours, Zero Pretension
Lake Coeur d'Alene · Coeur d'Alene · Lounge · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 19, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Cedar's Floating Restaurant Bar Lounge’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You're on a floating restaurant moored to a marina on one of Idaho's most beautiful lakes — and somehow the wine list keeps up with the scenery. At first glance, 120 labels feels ambitious for a lounge that could easily coast on the view alone. The Pacific Northwest focus is front and center, which is exactly the right call for this zip code.
The list leans hard into Washington, Oregon, and California, with some New Zealand and Argentine representation rounding things out. Coeur d'Alene Cellars showing up is a genuine local touch — it'd be a missed opportunity not to pour Idaho wine this close to home. Arbor Crest from Washington makes a bottle appearance, and while the list isn't going to blow a Napa collector's mind, it's coherent and honest about what it is. The gaps are predictable: no Willamette Valley depth beyond the Iris Pinot Noir, and nothing in the way of European old-world options.
Fourteen pours is a strong by-the-glass program for a floating lounge, and it covers real ground — from a White Zinfandel for the uninitiated to Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay for those who want something serious. The inclusion of both "The Lake" Coeur d'Alene Chardonnay and Coeur d'Alene Cellars Viognier as glass pours shows someone actually thought about this list. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority, but what's here delivers.
Coeur d'Alene Cellars Viognier — null
A local Idaho producer poured by the glass at a floating restaurant on the lake it's named for — the context alone earns it, and Viognier with lake views and fresh seafood is a combination that needs no convincing.
Mohua Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
Most people reaching for Sauvignon Blanc at a casual lounge default to something forgettable, but Mohua is a legitimate Marlborough producer with real citrus punch and grassy edge — it's better than its glass-pour price suggests and cuts through seafood beautifully.
Roundhill White Zinfandel
We're not here to shame anyone's preferences, but Roundhill White Zin is grocery store juice at restaurant markup — if you're at a floating restaurant with 13 other glass options, there's no reason to settle for this.
Iris Pinot Noir, Oregon + Prime Rib
Oregon Pinot Noir alongside prime rib is a classic Pacific Northwest move — the wine's earthy red fruit and lighter tannin structure won't fight the beef, and the combination feels right at home in a Northwest dining room floating on a lake.
The Bottom Line
Cedar's earns its Wild Card badge not because the list is revolutionary, but because a 120-label program with local Idaho pours and a sommelier on staff is the last thing you expect from a tourist-magnet floating lounge. Send your friends here, point them toward the Coeur d'Alene Cellars glass pours, and let the lake do the rest of the work.
· Coeur d'Alene · Wine Bar & Small Plates
Studio 107 is the kind of place that earns its Wild Card badge by existing at all — a genuine wine bar in a mid-size Idaho city, tucked inside an art gallery, with enough self-awareness to keep the list focused instead of pretending to be something it's not. If you're in Coeur d'Alene and want a glass of something French with a charcuterie board surrounded by local art, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Coeur d'Alene · Wine bar
Lola Wine Lounge is a genuine Wild Card — a single-producer wine bar in the Idaho panhandle that bets everything on LOLA's artisanal lineup and mostly wins. If you want variety across regions and producers, this isn't your spot; if you want to actually learn something about under-the-radar California varietals in a relaxed setting, it's worth a stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Coeur d'Alene · Wine Bar / Small Plates
Stylus is the kind of place that shouldn't exist in a mid-sized Idaho city but absolutely does, and you should go before the rest of the country catches on. If you're road-tripping through the Panhandle or landing in Coeur d'Alene for a weekend, this is your first stop — not your last.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Coeur d'Alene · Italian
Tony's on the Lake is a solid wine list in a beautiful room — not a destination for serious wine hunting, but a reliable companion to a good Italian meal with a lake view. If you're going on a Thursday, pay attention to what's on special before you sit down.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Midtown · Coeur d'Alene · New American
Midtown Bluebird isn't going to win any wine destination awards, but it earns its keep as a reliable neighborhood pour in a town that doesn't have a lot of competition. If you're in Coeur d'Alene and want something decent from the Northwest without getting gouged, this is a solid call.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Coeur d'Alene · Wine bar & shop
Base Camp is the kind of focused, regional specialist that every mid-sized city should have — not trying to out-fancy anyone, just quietly stocking some of Washington's best and keeping prices honest. If you're near Coeur d'Alene and care about Pacific Northwest wine, this is your stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Heaven Hill · Bardstown · Lounge
If you're at Bardstown Bourbon Company, drink bourbon — the wine list here is not the reason you came and it won't give you a reason to revisit. The pricing is fair and the pours are inoffensive, but this is a lounge that's made its priorities abundantly clear.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Lake Shore Drive · Lake Geneva · Lounge
The Geneva Inn Lounge isn't a wine destination, and it doesn't need to be — it's a waterfront spot with honest pours, fair prices, and a list that gets the job done without embarrassing anyone. Send your friends here for sunset drinks, not for a deep-dive tasting.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Penn State University Park campus · State College · Lounge
The 1855 Lounge is a reliable hotel wine stop that does the basics right — wide BTG selection, decent variety for a 16-SKU list, approachable in a way that fits the campus-adjacent crowd. Just don't come expecting discovery; come expecting a competent glass of something familiar in a genuinely nice room.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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