Great Beer Town, Forgettable Wine List
Downtown · Bend · Brewpub · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 21, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Look, nobody walks into Deschutes expecting a wine revelation — and the list confirms that immediately. It's a short, regional-leaning card that feels like an afterthought bolted onto a beer menu that's doing all the heavy lifting. The wines are here because someone decided they had to be, not because anyone particularly cares.
Twenty-five labels sounds like enough until you realize the whole thing is basically a greatest-hits of Pacific Northwest grocery store shelves. Oregon, Washington, and California get represented, but through the most familiar, lowest-risk names possible — think Duck Pond, Columbia Crest, and a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir that every casual wine drinker already knows. There's no attempt to dig into the genuinely exciting producers that Central Oregon wine country or the Willamette Valley has to offer. No skin-contact wines, no small-production finds, nothing that would make you think twice about ordering another Black Butte Porter instead.
Six by-the-glass options at $8–$14 is a workable range for a pub setting, but the pours are as predictable as the bottle list. You're getting the same approachable crowd-pleasers in glass form, and there's no rotation or program behind it — what's listed is what's listed, month after month.
Duck Pond Pinot Gris — $8
At the low end of the glass price range, this is a crisp, easy-drinking Oregon Pinot Gris that won't insult your wallet. It's not exciting, but it's honest, and it's the one pour here that actually fits the pub-food context without feeling like a ripoff.
Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir
Most people in a brewpub aren't ordering Pinot Noir, which means this one gets overlooked constantly. Willamette Valley Vineyards is a legitimate producer making real Willamette Pinot — it's the one bottle on this list that has actual regional character behind it, even if the markup stings.
Columbia Crest H3 Chardonnay
At $38 a bottle, you're paying 153% over retail for a $15 grocery store wine. Columbia Crest H3 is perfectly fine Chardonnay for a Tuesday night at home — not at nearly triple the shelf price in a pub. Hard pass.
Duck Pond Pinot Gris + Fish & Chips
The bright acidity and light citrus character of an Oregon Pinot Gris cuts right through the batter and oil. It's the most logical wine-food moment on this menu, and at $8 a glass, it won't make you regret not ordering a beer.
❌ The Bottom Line
Deschutes is a destination for beer — full stop — and the wine list knows its place at the back of the bus. If your table insists on wine, go with the Pinot Gris and call it a day; otherwise, drink what this place actually does well and order a Jubelale.
Downtown Bend · Bend · Wine Bar & Retail Wine Shop
Viaggio is the kind of wine bar that has no business being this good in a ski town, and that's exactly why it earned a Wild Card badge. If you care about what's in your glass, make a stop here before or after dinner — you'll leave with a better bottle than you planned on.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
Westside (Galveston Avenue area) · Bend · Italian (Tuscan-focused, handmade pasta)
Trattoria Sbandati is a small Italian restaurant with a small Italian wine list that punches well above its size because someone made real choices instead of filling slots. If you're in Bend and you want to drink actual Tuscan wine with actual Tuscan food, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Old Mill District · Bend · Italian-American
Pastini is a Lazy List on a normal night, but Wine Wednesday flips the math enough to make it worth a visit if you know what you're doing — show up on Wednesday, order the Elk Cove or Cooper Mountain, skip the Ste. Michelle, and enjoy your pasta. Any other night, manage your expectations accordingly.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Tetherow · Bend · Upscale Pacific Northwest and New American
Solomon's is a safe, well-intentioned resort wine program that does Oregon proud without doing anything adventurous — come for the elk and the Drouhin, not for discovery. If you're staying at Tetherow or celebrating something, it delivers. If you're driving across Bend specifically for the wine list, adjust your expectations.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Tetherow · Bend · Elevated pub fare with American and Scottish-inspired dishes
The Row is a reliable pour in a beautiful setting — the wine list won't blow your mind, but the Sokol Blosser rosé and a smart sparkling pick make it easy enough to drink well here. Order the fish, grab the rosé, enjoy the view.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Eastside · Bend · Casual American café with wood-fired pizza and seasonal, locally sourced dishes
Jackson's Corner Eastside is a counter-service café that quietly put together a wine list worth paying attention to — Oregon-focused, fairly priced, and genuinely thoughtful for the format. Send a friend here if they want good pizza and don't want to feel gouged for drinking something decent with it.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Murfreesboro · Murfreesboro · Brewpub
Blackhorse is a genuinely good brewpub, and you should absolutely order a pint. The wine list, though, is purely functional — it exists so the person at the table who doesn't drink beer has something to order, and it doesn't pretend to be anything more than that.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Springfield · Eugene · Brewpub
Plank Town is a genuinely good brewpub and you should absolutely go there — just order a beer. The wine list exists to accommodate the one person in a group who doesn't drink beer, and it does that job adequately and nothing more.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Des Moines · Des Moines · Brewpub
Barn Town Brewery is a genuinely solid craft beer destination, and we respect it for that — but the wine program is an afterthought dressed up as an option. Order a pint, save the wine for literally anywhere else.
Grocery Store
Steep
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.