Beer Town, Wrong Stop For Wine
Downtown · Iowa City · Pub · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Micky's Irish Pub’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 Micky's is less a list and more a footnote — six Canyon Road labels and a bottle of Wycliff Brut, all at $8 a glass. This is a beer and whiskey pub, and the wine program exists purely as an obligation, not an intention. Nobody walked in here planning to drink wine, and the list is fine with that.
Every single wine on the list is Canyon Road — a mass-market California brand you'll find at most grocery stores for around $7 a bottle. There's a Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon, plus a Wycliff Brut to round out the six slots. No region diversity, no small producers, no vintage variation — just the same label in six different varietals. If you handed someone this list blind and asked them to guess the restaurant type, 'Irish pub in a college town' would be the correct answer on the first try.
All six wines are available by the glass, which means the entire wine program is by the glass — there's no bottle service to speak of. At $8 flat across the board, the pricing is at least consistent and inoffensive. Rotation is essentially zero; this list looks like it hasn't changed since the Bush administration.
Canyon Road Sauvignon Blanc — $8
If you're stuck here and someone insists on wine, the Sauvignon Blanc is the most forgiving pour — lighter, crisper, and harder to mess up than the reds. At $8 it won't hurt your wallet, just your credibility.
Wycliff Brut
Nobody orders bubbles at an Irish pub, which means the Wycliff Brut just sits there — but a $8 glass of sparkling something is genuinely the most fun you'll have with this list. Order it, lean into the absurdity.
Canyon Road Cabernet Sauvignon
Cab deserves at least a fighting chance in a proper glass with some food — Canyon Road's version served in a pub tumbler next to a Reuben is a sad combination. The beer list here will serve you far better.
Canyon Road Pinot Grigio + Fish and Chips
Light, neutral white wine and fried fish is a combination that works almost by accident. The Pinot Grigio won't compete with the batter and at least cleans your palate between bites. Low bar, but it clears it.
The Bottom Line
Micky's is a great Irish pub — for Guinness, whiskey, and a Reuben at midnight. The wine program is an afterthought dressed up as a menu section, and nobody on either side of the bar is pretending otherwise. Order the beer.
East Side / Riverside Drive area · Iowa City · Italian-American
The Brown Bottle is a reliable neighborhood Italian that won't embarrass you on a date or a family dinner — the wine list is safe, the prices are fair, and the Tignanello is a genuine reason to look twice. Don't come here hunting for discovery, but do come here for a cold night, a bowl of pasta, and a Chianti that gets the job done.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Iowa City · Iowa City · Farm-to-table American steakhouse and gastropub
Iowa Chop House is a perfectly competent steakhouse wine list that plays it safe from start to finish — you'll drink well, you'll pay fairly steep prices for the privilege, and you won't be surprised by anything. For Iowa City, that's honestly good enough most nights.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Iowa City · Iowa City · Steakhouse, Classic American Fine Dining
Joseph's is doing more than most Iowa City restaurants bother to do with wine, and the Champagne section alone earns some respect. But steep markups and a list that plays it safe keep it from being anything more than a reliable night out — solid enough to enjoy, not worth planning your evening around the bottle.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Northside / Downtown edge · Iowa City · Modern Italian
Basta isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't need to be — it's a fun downtown Italian spot with a reliable-enough list and one of the best recurring happy hour deals in Iowa City. Show up between 4 and 6, drink the Soave, eat the pizza, and don't overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown · Iowa City · Mexican / Tex-Mex
Order the margarita. Seriously. But if someone at the table insists on wine, the Barefoot pours are priced so close to retail that you're not getting hurt — just don't expect anything more than that.
Grocery Store
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Iowa City · Pizza / Italian-American
Pagliai's earns its legendary status in Iowa City as a pizza destination — the wine list, however, is an afterthought that nobody on staff or in the kitchen appears to think about much. Order a beer, order a soda, order another slice, and save the wine conversation for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Monroe Avenue / OSU · Corvallis · Pub
McMenamins On Monroe is not a wine destination — it's a pub that does wine responsibly and without embarrassment. Send a friend here if they want something decent by the glass without a markup hangover, but tell them to save their Willamette Valley deep-dive for somewhere with more ambition.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Uptown · Columbus · Pub
The Rail Pub is not here to advance your wine education, and that's fine — it's a pub, it sells beer, and the wine list exists as an afterthought for the table that didn't want beer. Order the J. Lohr if you need a glass of something real; otherwise, get a pint and stop looking at the wine menu.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · Reno · Pub
Chapel Tavern is not a wine destination, but its pricing is so honest it borders on accidental generosity — and that earns it real credit. If you're in Midtown Reno and want something decent in your glass without getting gouged, this is a legitimate call.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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