Pizza's Great, Wine List Forgot to Show Up
Canal Park · Duluth · Casual Italian / American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 12, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Green Mill Restaurant & Bar – Duluth’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
You flip open the menu at Green Mill and the wine section is basically a footnote — a small cluster of house pours tucked beneath the cocktail list like it's embarrassed to be there. For a casual Canal Park spot built around pizza and pasta, wine is clearly an afterthought. The prices are approachable, but that's about where the excitement ends.
The list clocks in somewhere between 15 and 25 bottles, and the heavy lifting is done entirely by Coastal Vines — a value California label you'd recognize from a grocery store endcap. There's no meaningful regional exploration here, no small producers, no Old World representation worth noting. The California and value-American lane is fine if you just want something wet and red with your deep dish, but don't come looking for discovery. This is a list built to check a box, not to inspire a second pour.
Eight to twelve options by the glass sounds reasonable until you realize the range skews almost entirely toward safe, generic California pours in the $7–$12 window. There's no rotation, no seasonal swaps, no attempt to keep things interesting for the regulars. If you're here more than once, the glass menu will be exactly the same.
Coastal Vines Cabernet Sauvignon — $9
At this price point, it's a drinkable Cab that won't fight your pizza. You're not getting complexity — you're getting an honest house pour that does what it says on the label. For a casual night out with deep dish, it's the most sensible option on the list.
Coastal Vines Merlot
Most people reach for the Cab by reflex, but the Merlot is the softer, friendlier call here — especially alongside a pasta entrée. It gets overlooked because Merlot has a reputation problem it doesn't always deserve, and at Green Mill's price, there's no reason not to give it a shot.
Coastal Vines Cabernet Sauvignon
If you're ordering a full bottle rather than a glass, pause before committing — at $25–$35 a bottle for a grocery-tier California Cab, the value math gets thinner fast. You'd do just as well with the glass pour and spend the difference on an extra order of wings.
Coastal Vines Merlot + Deep Dish Pizza
The Merlot's softer tannins and modest fruit don't try to compete with a saucy, loaded deep dish — they just ride alongside it. Nothing here is going to blow your mind, but the combination is easy and unpretentious, which is exactly what Green Mill is selling.
The Bottom Line
Green Mill is a solid pizza-and-a-beer kind of place, and the wine list knows it — it's not trying to be anything more than a functional afterthought. Send a friend here for deep dish and a cold drink, not for the wine.
Downtown · Duluth · Italian-American and Pizza
Sammy's is a Duluth institution and the pizza earns its reputation — the wine list is just not the point, and the restaurant isn't pretending otherwise. Order a beer or grab the cheapest glass pour, eat the pizza, and be happy.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Canal Park · Duluth · American, Bar, Pizza
Old Chicago Duluth isn't a wine destination and doesn't pretend to be — it's a reliable fallback for the table member who wants a glass of something decent while everyone else works through the tap list. If you stick to the Ste. Michelle Riesling, you'll leave satisfied; just don't come here expecting anything that will make you put down your pizza.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Duluth · Duluth · American, bar & grill
Grandma's Saloon is a genuinely fun West Duluth institution, but the wine list is an afterthought and everyone involved knows it. Order a local beer, enjoy the ribs, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that shares it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Miller Hill · Duluth · American, bar & grill
Grandma's Miller Hill is a beloved Duluth institution, but the wine list has never been the reason to show up — and with the location closing in May 2026, it's not getting better. Order a beer, enjoy the nostalgia, and save the wine for somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Miller Hill · Duluth · Casual American steakhouse with Australian-themed branding
Outback Duluth is a perfectly fine place to eat a steak; it is not a place to think about wine. Order the Alamos Malbec, enjoy your sirloin, and save the wine exploration for somewhere that's doing the work.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Fitger's / Waterfront · Duluth · Upscale American
Boat Club is a reliable wine room for Duluth — a sommelier on staff, a genuinely broad glass pour program, and a Monday half-price bottle deal that should be on every local's calendar. The markups keep it from being a Rager, but if you play the specials and lean into the European selections, you'll drink well with a great view.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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