Lake Views Can't Save a Lazy List
Lake Como · Lake Geneva · American / Supper Club · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Mars Resort’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
The wine list at Mars Resort is exactly what you'd expect from a lakeside supper club that knows its crowd and isn't trying to impress anyone. Stone Cellars leads the charge — a mass-produced grocery store label — and that sets the tone pretty quickly. The good news is that $7 house pours are hard to argue with when you're watching the sun go down over Lake Geneva.
The list runs about 18-22 wines and leans almost entirely on California workhorses: J. Lohr, Sonoma-Cutrer, Sea Sun, and Kendall-Jackson make appearances alongside a smattering of Italian and French options. The Bisol Prosecco and The Beach Rosé from France are the most interesting things on the list, and they're still not exactly pushing any boundaries. There's no real cellar depth here — no surprises, no old-world deep cuts, no natural wines — just the reliable crowd-pleasers that move fast in a lakeside bar setting. A Mars Private Label Chardonnay and Cabernet round out the list, which is either charming local branding or a red flag, depending on your optimism.
The by-the-glass program covers roughly 10-12 options anchored at $7 for house wines and sparkling, which is genuinely reasonable for a resort setting in 2024. You'll find the Stone Cellars lineup, Bisol Prosecco, and a few steps up like Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay and Sea Sun Pinot Noir. Rotation appears minimal — this is a set-it-and-forget-it program, not one that's refreshed seasonally.
Bisol Prosecco — $7
Bisol is a legitimate Valdobbiadene producer — not some anonymous bubble — and if Mars is pouring it at the same $7 house price point, that's the glass to grab on the patio. It outperforms everything else at that price on this list.
The Beach Rosé
It's easy to scroll past this on a list loaded with California staples, but The Beach is a French rosé — likely Provence — and it's the most food-friendly, sessionable option on the menu. Most people will default to Kendall-Jackson, but this is the smarter order.
Stone Cellars White Zinfandel
Stone Cellars is Beringer's value label, and the White Zin is the least interesting wine on a list that's already playing it safe. If you're here for the fish fry, you deserve better than this.
Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc + Fish Fry
Oyster Bay's New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has enough brightness and citrus cut to handle a Friday fish fry without getting lost. It's not a profound pairing, but it's the right call on this list — and it'll hold up better than the house Chardonnay.
❌ The Bottom Line
Mars Resort is a great place to drink a cold glass of something while live music plays and the lake does all the heavy lifting — but don't come here expecting a wine program that cares as much as you do. Order the Bisol, enjoy the view, and save the serious bottle for somewhere else.
Lake Como / The Ridge Hotel · Lake Geneva · American
Crafted Americana's wine program is resort-standard in the fullest sense: recognizable, priced for convenience, and unlikely to generate any complaints or any real excitement. If you're at The Ridge for the weekend and want a solid glass of Cab with your prime rib, you'll be fine — just don't come expecting a discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Highway 50 corridor (east of downtown Lake Geneva) · Lake Geneva · Steakhouse / Seafood / Supper Club
Anthony's isn't a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — but for a Wisconsin supper club on a Friday night, the list is honest, the prices are fair, and the Washington State focus gives it just enough personality to keep things interesting. Send your parents here and order the Syrah.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Williams Bay / Highway 67 corridor · Lake Geneva · Fine Dining French
Opus is the rare fine dining wine program in the Midwest that earns the label without hedging — 346 bottles deep, French-focused, and staffed by someone who clearly knows what they're doing. The markups will sting, but for a special occasion in lake country, this is exactly where you want to be drinking.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Delavan (Greater Geneva Area) · Lake Geneva · Fine Dining / New American
1878 on the Lake is a solid resort restaurant doing exactly what resort restaurants do — safe selections, reliable producers, and a markup that subsidizes those lakefront views. We'd send a friend here for a nice night out on the water, but we'd tell them to skip the Reserve and order the Rosé.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Delavan (Greater Geneva Area) · Lake Geneva · American / Resort
If you're here for the lake views and a burger, order a cocktail and don't stress the wine list — it's not why you came. But if wine actually matters to you, the Lookout's list is the kind of set-it-and-forget-it program that makes you wish you'd packed a bottle to leave at the front desk.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Lake Shore Drive · Lake Geneva · Lounge
The Geneva Inn Lounge isn't a wine destination, and it doesn't need to be — it's a waterfront spot with honest pours, fair prices, and a list that gets the job done without embarrassing anyone. Send your friends here for sunset drinks, not for a deep-dive tasting.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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