Great après-ski, skip the wine list
Stateline Casino Corridor · South Lake Tahoe · Irish pub fare, American bar food, and pizza · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 25, 2026
RagingWine reviewed McP's Taphouse Grill’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
You walk into McP's chasing the Heavenly Village energy — TVs blaring, cold pints flowing, someone's already celebrating a powder day — and the wine list feels exactly as afterthought as you'd expect. It's a single page, maybe fewer options than your local gas station, and nobody's pretending otherwise.
The list tops out at around a dozen selections and leans entirely on budget California brands you'd recognize from a grocery store end cap. Crusher Cabernet and Montevina Pinot Grigio are doing the heavy lifting here, which tells you everything about the ambition level. There's no regional story, no depth, no old world presence — this is a wine list assembled for people who want wine and nothing more. If you came to McP's hunting a Willamette Valley Pinot or anything with a cork you'd want to photograph, you've made a wrong turn.
The by-the-glass program is where McP's actually redeems itself a little, purely on price. Happy hour drops pours to $5–$6 a glass, which for après-ski in South Lake Tahoe is practically community service. Outside of happy hour, don't expect any rotating selections or staff recommendations — what's on the menu is what's on the menu, full stop.
Crusher Cabernet Sauvignon — $6
At $6 during happy hour, this is a perfectly serviceable Central Valley Cab to wrap around after a long day on the mountain. It's not complex, but it's not trying to be — and at that price, it's honest.
House Champagne
A $5 sparkling pour at a taphouse in Tahoe is genuinely unexpected. It's not real Champagne, but bubbly at happy hour prices in ski country is a small miracle — grab it before the après-ski crowd cleans it out.
House Merlot
The generic house Merlot is the most anonymous wine on an already anonymous list. Even at $5, there's nothing here worth the glass — the Crusher Cab is right there and at least has a brand identity behind it.
Montevina Pinot Grigio + Fish and chips
A simple, crisp California Pinot Grigio and a plate of fried fish is one of those low-stakes combinations that just works. Nothing about it is sophisticated, but after a day on the slopes, that's exactly the point.
❌ The Bottom Line
McP's isn't a wine destination and has zero interest in becoming one — come for the cold beer, the buzz, and the mountain atmosphere. If you need wine, hit happy hour, grab the Crusher Cab or the bubbly, and move on with your evening.
Heavenly Gondola / Stateline · South Lake Tahoe · American / California Cuisine
ECHO's wine program is exactly what a hotel lounge in a ski town should be: fair prices, nothing offensive, nothing exciting. If you're here for the mountain, this list won't get in the way — and that's honestly enough.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mid-Town / Al Tahoe Blvd · South Lake Tahoe · Wine Shop & Café / Delicatessen
The Cork & More is the kind of place that shouldn't work as well as it does — a wine shop and deli hybrid in a tourist ski town charging near-retail prices. We'd absolutely send a friend here, especially one who's been burned by $80 Napa Cabs at resort restaurants one too many times.
Solid Range
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Heavenly Village / Base Area · South Lake Tahoe · Farm-to-Table / New American
Maggie's isn't going to make a wine person drive up from the Bay Area, but for a ski-base hotel restaurant it punches well above its weight — fair markups, considered pours, and a list that treats guests like adults. If you're already at Heavenly Village, you're in good hands.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Lake Tahoe Lakefront · South Lake Tahoe · Californian with Mediterranean/Greek influences
Jimmy's is a dependable resort wine list with some genuine bright spots — just don't expect adventurous pricing or a staff member who can walk you through the Ornellaia. If you're in South Lake Tahoe and want a proper glass of something good with a fire crackling and the lake out the window, you could do a lot worse.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Emerald Bay Road (near The Y) · South Lake Tahoe · Fine Dining / New American
Evan's is the right place for a proper Tahoe date night, and the wine list won't let you down — as long as you go in knowing it's built for comfort, not discovery. Stick to the Kistler or Flowers and you'll drink well; chase the obvious names and you'll overpay for the privilege.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
The Y / Emerald Bay Road · South Lake Tahoe · Thai
My Thai is a genuine Wild Card — a family Thai joint that somehow assembled a Napa Cab-heavy wine list with real bottles on it, even if the pairing logic is questionable and the markups climb fast. Come for the green curry, order the Santadi, and marvel at the fact that Heitz Trailside exists on this menu at all.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.