Meat-forward spot, wine list plays it safe
Golf Road · Eau Claire · American casual, bar & grill, wood-fired steaks and burgers · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 16, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Grizzly's Wood-Fired Grill & Bar’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Thirteen labels, all available by the glass — that's either refreshing simplicity or a sign nobody spent much time curating this thing. One glance at the lineup and you know exactly what you're getting: the greatest hits of casual American dining, from Kim Crawford to Caymus, with zero surprises in between. It's a wine list that exists to check a box, not to excite you.
The list leans hard on California with a few token internationals thrown in — Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, Ruffino Chianti Riserva Ducale, and Trapiche Malbec from Argentina cover most of the globe-trotting. There's no real depth here: one Pinot Noir (Wente, California), one Merlot (Stonecap), and a Cabernet slot filled by both Joel Gott and Caymus, which tells you the price range is doing more work than the curation. Glaring gaps include anything from Spain, the Pacific Northwest, or even a real Rhône-style red that would actually sing next to wood-fired beef. What's here will keep most tables happy without making anyone think too hard.
Every single bottle on the list is also available by the glass, which is a genuine convenience for a casual bar-and-grill crowd that just wants a pour with their burger. The problem is the glass selection mirrors the bottle selection — functional, familiar, and built around approachability rather than quality. No rotation, no seasonal additions, just the same reliable roster anchored by the $1-off happy hour deal at the bar.
Trapiche Malbec — Unknown
Trapiche is a workhorse producer that consistently punches above its price point in Mendoza — and on a list dominated by California commodity wine, it's the most interesting red that won't cost you a second mortgage. Order it with the wood-fired steak and don't look back.
Ruffino Chianti Riserva Ducale
Most people at Grizzly's are reaching for the Caymus or the Joel Gott without a second thought. The Ruffino Chianti Riserva Ducale is the quiet overachiever here — Sangiovese with some actual structure, a little earth, a little cherry, and a backbone that handles charred meat better than any California Cab on this list.
Caymus Cabernet
Caymus is a fine wine, but it's one of the most marked-up bottles in American restaurants, full stop. You're paying for the name, and at a casual bar-and-grill markup on top of an already premium retail price, the value proposition evaporates fast. The Trapiche or Ruffino will serve you better for less.
Trapiche Malbec + Wood-fired steak
Malbec and fire-kissed beef is one of the more reliable combos in casual dining — the dark fruit and soft tannins in the Trapiche complement the char and fat in the steak without trying to compete with it. Simple, effective, no overthinking required.
Daily (Happy Hour) — All house wine glasses are $1 off during Happy Hour, bar seating only.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Grizzly's wine list won't win any awards, but it's functional enough for a neighborhood grill where the real star is whatever's coming off the wood fire. Stick to the Trapiche or the Ruffino, take the $1 off at the bar during happy hour, and save your wine ambitions for somewhere else.
Water Street · Eau Claire · Pizzeria / Chain
This is not a wine program — it's a liability hedge so they can say they serve wine. Come for the pizza, order the beer.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Northside / Hwy 53 riverfront · Eau Claire · Supper club / American steakhouse
The Edge isn't going to win any awards for wine ambition, but it's honest, fairly priced, and perfectly calibrated for what it is — a classic supper club where the wine list supports the meal without getting in the way. Send a friend here for the prime rib, and tell them to order the Borgonero.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Northside / Oakwood Mall area · Eau Claire · Pizza / Italian
Johnny's Pizza Shop is a solid neighborhood pizza spot that treats wine as a beverage category, not a program. Come for the pizza, order a beer or a $10 glass of Mark West if you need wine, and save the serious bottle for the steakhouse next time.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Owen Ayres Court · Eau Claire · Italian Steakhouse
Johnny's is doing the most with a crowd-pleasing formula — 160 bottles, a Wine Spectator nod, and a list that won't offend anyone. Markups on the trophy bottles are hard to defend, but if you know where to look, there's a solid night of wine here for a reasonable bill.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Eau Claire · Eau Claire · Italian, Steakhouse
Johnny's isn't trying to reinvent the wine list — it's trying to make sure you drink well with your steak, and it succeeds. Send a friend here if they want reliable California pours at fair prices without having to think too hard about it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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