The Pizza's the Point, Not the Wine
Downtown · Durango · Pizza / Bar
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 22, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Ernie's Bar & Pizza’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Ernie's is exactly what you'd expect from a bar that leads with pizza and ends with pizza. It's short, it's generic, and it makes zero effort to surprise you. If you came here hoping to find something interesting in the glass, recalibrate immediately.
Eight to twelve wines total, nearly all of them California house pours with no producer names worth mentioning. The list covers the basics — a Chardonnay, a Cab, a Pinot Grigio, and yes, a White Zinfandel — but there's no regional curiosity, no small producer, nothing that suggests anyone curating this list spent more than fifteen minutes on it. The Italian presence is a single value Pinot Grigio that probably shares shelf space at your local grocery store. This is a wine list that exists because restaurants are expected to have one, not because anyone cares.
Six to eight options by the glass, priced between $6 and $9, which is genuinely affordable for a night out. The problem isn't the price — it's that the options are interchangeable with whatever's on tap at a hotel bar. There's no rotation, no seasonal thinking, just the same pours on repeat.
House Cabernet Sauvignon — $8
At this price point, it's the most food-friendly pour on the list and won't fight with a saucy pizza. Not a wine to think about — just a wine to drink.
Pinot Grigio
Overlooked because it reads as filler, but it's the cleanest option on the list for cutting through cheese and dough. Order it cold, drink it fast, don't ask questions.
White Zinfandel
There's no version of this that makes sense at a pizza bar in 2024. Skip it entirely and put that $7 toward another slice.
House Cabernet Sauvignon + Pizza
A big, tomato-forward pizza needs something with enough body to hold its own against the sauce. The house Cab is blunt but it gets the job done — sometimes that's all you need.
❌ The Bottom Line
Ernie's is a pizza bar, and it's probably a good one — but the wine list is an afterthought and everyone involved knows it. Drink the beer, eat the pizza, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere else.
South Durango · Durango · American, Cajun & Creole, Southern Barbecue, Seafood
Highway 3 is not a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — which is half the charm. The list is short, the prices are mostly fair, and if you stick to the whites with the oysters you'll have a perfectly good time. Send your wine-obsessed friends somewhere else, but don't order a Bud Light just because the list is small.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Durango · Wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza
Fired Up Pizzeria's wine list is a workhorse, not a showpiece — it gets the job done without embarrassing anyone, but it won't give you a story to tell. Order the Sasyr, eat great pizza, and save the wine nerd energy for somewhere else in Durango.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Durango · Steakhouse / American
Ore House delivers a competent, Napa-centric wine list that matches the room and the menu without much ambition beyond that — the markups sting on the trophy bottles, but there are a few smart finds if you know where to look. Send a friend here for steak and the Eroica Riesling; tell them to skip the Silver Oak.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Durango · Wine Bar
The Wine Loft at Seasons is doing more with 16 labels than a lot of places do with 60 — the Coravin access and a handful of legit producers make it worth a stop in Durango. It's not destination wine drinking, but it's a genuinely solid option when the mountain air has you ready for a good glass.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Durango · Contemporary Southwestern
Chimayo is a genuinely fun spot for food and atmosphere, but we wouldn't send anyone here specifically for the wine. Order strategically, lean on the Zinfandel if it's available, and let the kitchen do the talking.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown · Durango · Steakhouse and New American
636 Main is doing more with wine than most steakhouses at this altitude and zip code, and the Italian depth alone earns respect. The markups on the California classics will sting, but navigate toward the Rhône and Italian bottles and you'll drink very well in downtown Durango.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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