California classics with a Fox River view
Appleton · Appleton · American, Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed May 1, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Fratellos, the Fox River does most of the heavy lifting — but then the wine list shows up and holds its own. At 150-250 bottles with a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence freshly minted in 2025, this is clearly a list someone cares about. It leans hard into California, which is either exactly what you want or exactly what you expected.
The list is a California greatest hits album — Caymus, Jordan, Stag's Leap, Duckhorn, Cakebread — and if that sounds like your local steakhouse, you're not wrong, but Fratellos executes it well. There's a house sommelier, Heidi Supple, which is genuinely rare for Appleton and means the list has an actual human behind it rather than a distributor rep with a clipboard. Chardonnay gets real attention with Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches, Cakebread, and Chalk Hill all making appearances. Don't come looking for Burgundy, Barolo, or anything with a cork that needs a story — this list knows what it is and doesn't pretend otherwise.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a serious commitment for a riverfront casual-American spot, and at $9-$16 a glass the pricing is reasonable without being a steal. La Crema and Meiomi represent the Pinot Noir side of the glass program, which are approachable crowd-pleasers rather than anything that'll make you put your phone down. Rotation isn't confirmed, but with a sommelier on staff there's at least a chance the by-the-glass program gets some attention beyond the obvious.
Chalk Hill Chardonnay — $35–$50 (bottle)
Chalk Hill sits in a sweet spot on this list — serious enough to drink well but priced below the Cakebread and Sonoma-Cutrer options. It's the Chardonnay move for someone who knows what they're doing but doesn't want to pay Cakebread prices for a Tuesday dinner by the river.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
In a lineup of big-name Cabs, Stag's Leap is the one with actual Napa pedigree that most people walk past because Caymus gets all the attention. It's more structured and food-friendly, and it earns its place on the table in a way that the brand-recognition bottles don't always manage.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
Meiomi is fine — it's just $15 at the grocery store, and whatever they're charging per glass or bottle here, you're paying restaurant markup on a wine engineered for mass appeal. Order anything else.
Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay + Walleye
Russian River Ranches has enough acidity and stone fruit to cut through the mild richness of walleye without steamrolling it. It's the obvious call for a reason — Chardonnay and freshwater fish on a Wisconsin riverfront is not a hard equation.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Fratellos is the rare Wisconsin riverfront restaurant where the wine list is actually worth opening. It's not adventurous, but with a real sommelier, fair prices, and a solid California backbone, it earns its keep — and that river view makes everything taste better anyway.
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