Cold beer town, but the wine shows up
Canal Park · Duluth · American, Bar, Pizza · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 12, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Old Chicago Pizza + Taproom – Duluth’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walk into Old Chicago's Canal Park location and the vibe is unmistakably beer-first — 36 taps, a World Beer Tour wall of fame, and a room full of people watching the game. The wine list feels like an afterthought that accidentally did its homework: it's short, it's familiar, but it won't embarrass you.
The list runs 15 to 25 bottles deep, leaning hard on approachable California and Italian names that anyone can recognize without squinting at a wine map. Mirassou Pinot Noir and Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio are the workhorses here — corporate staples, yes, but reliably drinkable and priced to match the room. Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling from Washington is the most interesting thing on the list and hints that whoever put this together wasn't totally asleep. There are no real surprises, no small producers, and no deep regional rabbit holes — this is a list built for people who want wine with their pizza, not a wine experience.
Six to ten options by the glass in the $8–$14 range keeps things accessible without a lot of decision fatigue. The pours rotate about as often as the menu does — which is to say, not often — so don't expect a seasonal refresh or anything experimental showing up mid-summer. What's there is predictable but functional, and at these prices you're not taking a big swing.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $9
Washington Riesling from one of the state's most dependable producers, priced the same as the grocery-aisle picks but drinking noticeably better. It's the move at this price point.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
In a sports bar, most people are going on autopilot — Pinot Grigio or Cabernet. This Riesling gets overlooked but it's the most food-friendly wine on the list, with enough brightness and a touch of sweetness to actually cut through the pizza.
Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio
It's fine, but you can buy this at any grocery store for $10 a bottle. Ordering it by the glass here means paying restaurant markup on something that delivers essentially nothing you can't get at home.
Mirassou Pinot Noir + Specialty deep dish pizza
Mirassou's Pinot is light enough not to fight the tomato sauce and has just enough fruit to complement the richness of a loaded deep dish. It's not a revelatory pairing, but it works better than a Cab would, and that counts for something in a pizza joint.
The Bottom Line
Old Chicago Duluth isn't a wine destination and doesn't pretend to be — it's a reliable fallback for the table member who wants a glass of something decent while everyone else works through the tap list. If you stick to the Ste. Michelle Riesling, you'll leave satisfied; just don't come here expecting anything that will make you put down your pizza.
· Duluth · Brewpub
Lake Superior Brewing has no business having a wine list this interesting, and we mean that as a full compliment. If you're in Duluth and you want to drink wine somewhere that actually thought about it, this brewpub is the surprising answer.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Duluth · Cocktail Bar
This is a cocktail bar that slipped a legitimately interesting nine-bottle wine list into the corner without making a big deal about it — and we respect the quiet confidence. Don't come here for a deep cellar experience, but do come here knowing you have real options beyond the well liquor.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Duluth · Italian
Va Bene is presumably doing something right in the kitchen, but the wine list is a two-item afterthought that tells you this place doesn't take wine seriously. Order a glass, enjoy your pasta, and don't expect anything more.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Duluth · European / Hotel Restaurant
Midi is doing more with 38 labels than most hotel restaurants do with 80. The aromatic white selection alone makes it worth a serious look, and the pricing won't leave you feeling robbed on the way out.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Duluth · Italian-American and Pizza
Sammy's is a Duluth institution and the pizza earns its reputation — the wine list is just not the point, and the restaurant isn't pretending otherwise. Order a beer or grab the cheapest glass pour, eat the pizza, and be happy.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Duluth · Duluth · American, bar & grill
Grandma's Saloon is a genuinely fun West Duluth institution, but the wine list is an afterthought and everyone involved knows it. Order a local beer, enjoy the ribs, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that shares it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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