Beer Town Brewery With a Local Wine Surprise
Downtown fringe · Scranton · Brewery/Taproom with Pizza and Pub Fare · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Mutant Brewing Company Taproom’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walk into Mutant Brewing expecting craft beer and art on the walls — and you'll get exactly that. But tucked into the menu is a six-label wine section built entirely around Maiolatesi Wine Cellars, a legit Pennsylvania producer working with regional grapes. Nobody comes to Mutant for the wine, which is exactly why it's worth paying attention to.
Six labels is a short list by any measure, but Mutant earns points for committing to a single local winery rather than throwing random grocery-store juice at the menu. Maiolatesi, based in Bucks County, works with both classic varieties and regional Pennsylvania grapes — the Sparkling Traminette is the most interesting thing on here, full stop. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling cover the bases for red and white drinkers, while the Sparkling Cranberry skews fun and festive. There are no Old World bottles, no skin-contact wines, no serious reds — this is a taproom list, not a wine bar list, and it knows what it is.
Pour options aren't specified on the menu we reviewed, so we can't confirm whether everything is available by the glass or bottle only. Given the taproom format and short list, we'd bet most of these are poured by the glass — ask your server before committing. If they're only offering bottles, the Sparkling Traminette is still worth splitting at the table.
Maiolatesi Riesling — null
Pricing wasn't published, but a dry-to-off-dry Pennsylvania Riesling from a solid regional producer alongside a Detroit-style pizza is genuinely good judgment. It's the most food-friendly bottle on the list, and Maiolatesi does Riesling well for the price point local PA wineries typically hit.
Maiolatesi Sparkling Traminette
Traminette is a cold-hardy hybrid grape developed in the Midwest and grown well in Pennsylvania — it has the aromatic punch of Gewurztraminer without the fuss. In sparkling form, it's genuinely surprising, and most people at a taproom will walk right past it. Their loss.
Maiolatesi Sparkling Cranberry
This is a fun novelty, but it's more of a seasonal cocktail substitute than a wine. If you're at Mutant Brewing, you're already surrounded by interesting craft beers — skip the cranberry sparkler and drink one of those instead.
Maiolatesi Moscato + Pepperoni Detroit-style pizza
Sounds counterintuitive, but a lightly sweet Moscato cuts through the grease and spice of a good pepperoni cup pizza in the same way a cold soda does — only with actual nuance. The low alcohol keeps things light, and the residual sweetness tames the heat.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Mutant Brewing isn't a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — but the all-Pennsylvania lineup from Maiolatesi is a genuinely thoughtful move for a taproom in Scranton. Come for the beer and the pizza, stay curious about the Sparkling Traminette.
Scranton Area · Scranton · Farm-to-Table / Wine Bar
Harvest isn't a destination wine list, but Wine Wednesday — 50% off every bottle — turns a steep-markup, crowd-pleaser program into a genuinely good deal worth planning around. Come hungry on a Wednesday and order the Rombauer without guilt.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Scranton Area · Scranton · Italian / Brewpub
Marzoni's is a brewpub that's very good at being a brewpub — order a house beer and enjoy the pizza. The wine list exists to serve guests who won't drink beer, not to give anyone a reason to seek it out.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Scranton · Italian-American Pizzeria and Restaurant
Alfredo's isn't a wine destination, but it's a pizza place with a functional, fairly priced list and one of the better midweek wine promotions we've seen in northeastern Pennsylvania. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Bonanza Cab at half price, and get a large pie — there are worse ways to spend a weeknight.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown · Scranton · New American
POSH isn't a destination wine list — it's a safe, slightly overpriced selection that leans on brand recognition over discovery. Come on a Wednesday, grab the Colombo rosé at half price, and you'll leave happy; show up any other night and you're paying full markup for wines you could find at the corner store.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown · Scranton · Italian
Sambucca is a perfectly decent Italian restaurant where wine is clearly an afterthought — steep markups on recognizable grocery store labels, no specials, no depth. Order the pasta, maybe a glass of something bubbly to start, and don't look at the wine list too hard.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Scranton · Gastropub
Backyard Ale House is a solid beer destination that treats wine like a legal obligation rather than an opportunity. Order a craft beer, enjoy the bar scene, and save the wine for somewhere that actually cares.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.