A 37-wine list that goes global like the small plates
Walker's Point · Milwaukee · Globally inspired small plates / tapas · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed October 9, 2026 · How we review
Explore La Merenda’s wine-list information. An overall rating has not been assigned. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
La Merenda is at 125 East National Avenue in Milwaukee's Walker's Point, and describes itself as a casual tapas bar and restaurant. Its Drinks block lists 37 wines in three groups, Whites, Reds, and Sparkling & Rose, from Germany, New Zealand, France, Spain, Slovenia, Italy, Argentina, California, Oregon and New Mexico. It also lists a red sangria and a Tsipouro sangria by the glass and the pitcher.
The whites include the 2024 Dr. Hermann Riesling from the Mosel, the 2022 Foris Pinot Gris from Oregon's Rogue Valley, the 2024 Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, a 2024 Godello from Val Do Galir in Spain, a 2020 Krasno white blend from Slovenia and the 2024 Capana SangioBi, a white Sangiovese from Montalcino. The reds run from Oregon and Napa Pinot Noir to Priorat Garnacha and a Ribera del Duero Tempranillo, Tuscan Sangiovese blends and a 2023 Damilano Nebbiolo from Piemonte. The highest posted price is $126 for the 2022 Snowden The Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by $106 for the 2022 Josep Grau Pedrabona from Priorat and $99 for the 2022 Vie Di Romans Pinot Grigio.
Most wines carry two prices, such as $10 / $40 for the Dr. Hermann Riesling, and the rest carry one, but the page does not say which figure is a glass and which is a bottle, so ask. The two-price wines run from $9 / $38 for the 2024 Micro-Cosme Viognier/Sauvignon Blanc (the 2022 Poggio al Tufo Rompicollo is $9.5 / $38) to $11 / $44 for the Gruet Brut Rose and the 2023 Truchard Pinot Noir; the Gruet Brut is printed as $11 / $444. The sangrias are labeled: the red is Glass 9 | Pitcher 36, and the Tsipouro Sangria is Glass 12 | Pitcher 48.
Monday — All bottled wine is half-price on Mondays. This changes the value equation on the entire list significantly — even the steeper markups become reasonable, and the Dog Point at ~$22 is a near-steal.
The Bottom Line
A global drinks list that matches a global small-plates menu. Start with the Dr. Hermann Riesling at $10 / $40 or the Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc at $10.5 / $42, ask which figure is the glass, and confirm what is pouring. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks list, not service, storage or markups.
Story Hill · Milwaukee · American, Regional
A compact 12-wine list with glass and bottle prices posted, half-glass portions, and a bottle shop run by the same business. Order the $11 Famille Perrin Côtes du Rhône or the $11 Anjou Chenin Blanc by the glass and confirm current availability, since the menu is linked as 8-22-26. This unrated guide covers the posted beverage menu, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Milwaukee · American, Steakhouse, Seafood, Contemporary
A very large list with no by-the-glass section posted: 657 priced wines from $30 to $4,450, and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is the biggest group at 93 entries. For a starting point, the $50 Jean Marc Martin Haut-Médoc Merlot 2015 is the lowest-priced wine in the "Sommelier's Favorites Reds", and the $70 Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse White Blend 2023 is the South African pick. Prices carry no unit and the page is undated, so confirm both. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Brady Street · Milwaukee · American
A short, varied list: 35 wines, from Lambrusco and Mourvèdre to Napa Cabernet, with paired numbers from 11 to 15 and a Cruvinet box at 11 to 22. Try the 11 | 43 Pirates del Ebro Tempranillo, or the Selbach Riesling with the scallops, and ask which number is the glass price. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Riverwest · Milwaukee · Pub fare and brewery food
Lakefront is a beer hall with a one-line wine list: three Wollersheim wines at $9. If you want wine, start with the Prairie Fumé alongside the cheese curds and ask about pour size, since the menu does not say. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks selection, not service, storage or markups.
Brady Street · Milwaukee · Italian-American
A friendly, easy list for a pasta-and-pizza room: 19 pours by the glass from $7 to $13, plus bottles from $36 to $90. Start with the $7 Wollersheim Prairie Fumé, or get the $10 Banfi Chianti Superiore with a bowl of Pomodoro, and confirm prices because the page is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Historic Third Ward · Milwaukee · Italian-Mediterranean
A bottle list with Greek, Sicilian and Lebanese bottles alongside Napa Cabernet, and Dom Perignon at $550. Start with the $40 Oenops 'Apla' or the $65 Château Musar 'Jeune', and plan around Wine Wednesday, when the restaurant says select bottles are half price from 5pm to 9pm. Confirm vintages and which bottles qualify before you order. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
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