Hershey Lodge – The Forebay

The Forebay's wine list reads like a resort property playing it very safe — recognizable names, familiar regions, nothing that's going to surprise or offend anyone on a Hershey corporate retreat. Thirty-seven labels is a respectable number for the format, but the list tilts heavily toward crowd-pleasing California producers with the occasional European ringers tossed in for credibility. It's a list built for the broadest possible audience, not for the wine curious.

Whites dominate the list and lean hard on California Chardonnay — Stags' Leap, Franciscan, Black Stallion, Neyers — which is either reassuring or repetitive depending on your patience for that particular grape. The Sauvignon Blanc section throws in a La Porte Blanche Sancerre at $90 for anyone who wants to feel fancy, and there's an interesting outlier in the Tenuta Rapitala Grillo from Sicily that nobody at this restaurant will order but someone should. Reds are thin — we only have a handful of Cabs on the verified list — and the absence of a credible Pinot Noir or Italian red section is a real gap for a steak and seafood concept. The port selections (Taylor Fladgate Vintage Tawny and Sandeman Founders Reserve) are a genuine nod to the dessert crowd and probably the most interesting corner of the list.

Twenty-three by-the-glass options is genuinely impressive for a hotel restaurant and the clear highlight of the program — that's a lot of pours to keep fresh, and it means guests can explore without committing to a bottle. Glass prices run $10–$21, which is fair at the low end but climbs steeply at the top. The Taylor Fladgate Tawny Port by the glass at $21 is the most interesting pour on the board if you're looking for something beyond the obvious.