Beer First, Wine Very Much Last
Aurora City Center · Aurora · Pizza / American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 20, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Old Chicago Pizza + Taproom – Aurora’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Old Chicago Aurora is a corporate afterthought dressed up in a laminated insert. This is a beer taproom first, second, and third — and the wine selection makes absolutely no effort to hide that fact. You're here for the deep-dish and the tap handles; the wine is just there so nobody at the table has to feel left out.
About 14 wines by the glass make up the entire program, and it reads like a grocery store shelf circa 2014. We've got Mark West Pinot Noir, Blackstone Merlot, Canyon Road Cab, and 19 Crimes Red Blend on the red side — reliable mass-market names that have never once surprised anyone. Whites fare no better: Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc, Canyon Road Chardonnay, Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay, and Mirassou Moscato round out a list that was clearly built to minimize decisions, not maximize enjoyment. The one nod toward something slightly more interesting is the J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet from Paso Robles and the Tamari Malbec from Argentina, but neither is enough to save a list that plays it completely safe across the board.
All 14 options are by the glass, which is technically the whole list — there's no bottle program worth mentioning. Rotation appears nonexistent; this is a chain-standardized list that likely hasn't changed meaningfully since the last corporate menu refresh. Pour sizes and pricing are unknown, but given the taproom context, don't expect generous pours in proper stems.
J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon — Unknown
It's the one wine on this list that comes from a producer with actual credibility. Seven Oaks is a solid, consistent Paso Robles Cab that punches above its price point — if you're going to drink wine here, this is the move.
Tamari Malbec
Argentina's Tamari is a small but legit producer out of La Rioja, and Malbec actually works with pizza in a way that flabby California reds don't. Most people here will reach for the 19 Crimes out of habit — don't be most people.
19 Crimes Red Blend
The marketing budget on this bottle is inversely proportional to what's inside it. It's ubiquitous, overpriced for what it delivers, and the gimmick-label novelty wore off years ago. Order literally anything else.
Tamari Malbec + Deep-Dish Pizza
Malbec's dark fruit and earthy backbone hold up against the rich tomato sauce and heavy cheese load of a deep-dish without getting steamrolled. It's the one pairing on this list that actually makes sense rather than just being the path of least resistance.
The Bottom Line
Old Chicago Aurora is a perfectly fine place to watch a game and eat pizza — just order a beer like everyone else. The wine list exists to check a box, not to enhance your meal, and no amount of J. Lohr is going to change that.
· Aurora · Wine Bar / Small Plates
PH1315 is doing something genuinely interesting for Aurora — a tight, Italian-accented glass-only list at prices that don't insult you. It's not a destination wine bar, but it's the kind of neighborhood spot that makes you glad it exists.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Southlands · Aurora · New American / Wine Bar
Wine Experience Cafe is the kind of place that earns its name in a neighborhood where most restaurants don't try at all. It's not a destination list, but it's an honest one — and in a shopping center in Aurora, that's worth celebrating.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Aurora · Meadery Tasting Room
Dragon Meadery isn't a wine destination — it's something more interesting. If you send a friend here expecting Burgundy, they'll be lost; if you send them open-minded and curious, they'll probably come home with a bottle of something they've never tried before and can't stop talking about.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
· Aurora · Sinaloan / Mexican Seafood
Nobody walks into a Sinaloan seafood restaurant expecting Billecart-Salmon and Pieropan on the glass list, and that surprise is exactly what earns this place a Wild Card. If you're ordering from the sea side of the menu, the wine list here will actually help you — which is more than you can say for most restaurants twice the price point.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Aurora · Mediterranean
Pita Central is here for the food, full stop — the wine list is an afterthought and everyone involved seems fine with that. Order a beer or a soft drink and save the wine for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Greenwood Village · Aurora · Urban Winery
InVINtions is a genuine neighborhood wine spot in a market that doesn't have enough of them — the staff enthusiasm and approachable format make it worth a visit even if we can't pin down every bottle. Go with an open mind and a friend who likes to try things; you'll leave happy.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown · Missoula · Pizza / American
Come for the pizza, skip the wine list deep-dive — there's nothing here worth obsessing over. Order a beer or grab the Chalk Hill Chardonnay and move on.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Chestnut Street / WKU Area · Bowling Green · Pizza / American
Come for the stone-baked pizza and the craft beer — Mellow Mushroom Bowling Green earns its stripes on both counts. The wine list is an afterthought with grocery-tier bottles at steep markups, so if you're committed to wine, hit Winesday and stick to the Prosecco split.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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