Indie deli, serious wine, zero pretension
Corktown Β· Detroit Β· Deli Β· Visit Website β
Updated April 2026
Reviewed March 22, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You walk in for a sandwich and leave with a bottle of Bonny Doon orange wine β that's the Mudgie's experience. It's a deli first, a wine shop second, and somehow that combination works better than it has any right to. The list is compact but punches well above its weight for a place serving hoagies in Corktown.
Don't let the deli counter fool you β whoever is buying wine here has taste. The selection leans into Michigan producers like Soul Squeeze Cellars alongside natural and indie picks from California, Oregon, and France, covering real geographic range without going overboard on SKUs. You'll find Bonny Doon's orange Cigare sitting next to Arterberry Maresh rosΓ©, which is not a sentence you'd expect to write about a sandwich shop. The main gap is depth β there's not much to dig into if you're looking for vertical options or big cellar finds, but that's clearly not the point.
Mudgie's operates as a retail shop with a small service fee added over retail price, so the 'by the glass' situation isn't traditional β you're buying a bottle and drinking it there. That model keeps prices genuinely fair, arguably the best deal structure in Detroit for drinking interesting wine without a restaurant markup. We'd love to see a formal glass pour program added, but the current setup is hard to complain about.
Arterberry Maresh RosΓ© Pinot Noir β $16
Arterberry Maresh is a legit Dundee Hills producer and getting their rosΓ© at $16 β basically retail plus a few dollars β is the kind of deal that makes you order a second sandwich just to justify sitting longer.
Soul Squeeze Cellars Dr. Redtail Cab Franc
Michigan Cab Franc gets overlooked by people who think the state only does Riesling, but Soul Squeeze is doing real work in Leelanau. At $29, this is a genuinely interesting bottle from your own backyard that most people walk right past.
Robert Denogent Macon-Villages Blanc
At $45 it's the priciest bottle on the list and while Denogent makes solid Macon, it sticks out as the one pick where the value math gets fuzzy β especially when everything else here is priced so aggressively fair.
Soul Squeeze Cellars The Pearl Sparkling RosΓ© Pinot Meunier + Charcuterie board
Michigan sparkling rosΓ© with cured meats and cheese is an easy yes β the bubbles cut through the fat, the fruit plays off the salt, and you get to tell everyone at the table it's from Leelanau Peninsula, which is worth something.
π² The Bottom Line
Mudgie's shouldn't be this good at wine, and that's exactly what makes it worth going. If you're eating in Corktown and you care even a little about what's in your glass, this is your spot.
Renaissance Center Β· Detroit Β· Regional Steakhouse
Highlands is a reliable special-occasion wine stop backed by a knowledgeable sommelier in Kevin Williams and a Wine Spectator Award it's held since 2022. The list won't surprise you, but at 71 floors up with a bone-in ribeye in front of you, you probably weren't asking it to.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Corktown Β· Detroit Β· Italian, Swiss
Alpino is doing something genuinely unusual for Detroit β an alpine-themed kitchen with a wine list that actually matches the room's ambition, not just its vibe. Send your friends here, tell them to order Austrian, and sit near the fireplace.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Southfield Β· Detroit Β· Northern Italian
Bacco is the kind of wine program that makes you feel like Detroit's been holding out on you β 11,000 bottles, a sommelier who actually knows the cellar, and a room serious enough to let a 2000 Gaja breathe properly. The prices will make your eyes water, but this is a destination list worth the trip.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Rochester Hills Β· Detroit Β· Italian
La Collina is a perfectly decent neighborhood Italian spot that treats its wine list like an afterthought β familiar names, steep markups, no real sense of curation or care. Drink the Brunello or order a Negroni and don't look back.
Crowd Pleasers
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Detroit Β· Detroit Β· Contemporary American
The Apparatus Room is the wine list Detroit didn't know it needed β thoughtful, fairly priced, and backed by a sommelier who actually shows up. If you're eating downtown and you care about what's in your glass, this is your spot.
Solid Range
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Unknown Β· Detroit Β· Steakhouse
Shanahan's is playing a different game than most Detroit restaurants β the wine list is destination-worthy on its own merits, even if the markups reflect the ambition. If you're serious about wine with your steak, this is where you go.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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