Cute Bakery, Wine List is an Afterthought
Downtown Roanoke · Roanoke · Bistro & Bakery · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 9, 2026
RagingWine reviewed On the Rise Bakery & Bistro’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list here is barely a list — it's more of a footnote. Three options, two of which lean cocktail-adjacent, tells you everything you need to know about where wine falls in the priority stack at On the Rise.
With only three labels on offer, there's not much to analyze. The selections skew sweet and sparkling, which makes sense for a bakery brunch crowd but leaves dinner guests with almost nowhere to go. There's no region focus, no Old World anchor, no dry red worth writing home about — just a house red and white that exist mostly to check a box. This isn't a wine program; it's a placeholder.
All three options are available by the glass, which sounds great until you realize that's the entire list. Prices run $9–$15, which is reasonable for Roanoke, but reasonable pricing on a thin selection doesn't add up to a wine experience worth seeking out.
Sparkling Wine — $10
At $10 a glass, it's the least fussy pick on a list that doesn't give you much to work with — if you're here for brunch and want something bubbly, this is the move.
Barrel Aged Vanilla Sparkling Wine
It's a novelty, sure, but the barrel-aged vanilla spin is the one thing on this list that shows any personality. Bakery setting, vanilla notes, housemade pastries — there's actually some logic here that most people will overlook in favor of the house pours.
St. Germain & Champagne
At $15 this is a cocktail pretending to be a wine selection. If you want an Elderflower spritz, own it — but calling it a wine option is a stretch, and you're paying cocktail prices for something that probably isn't made with real Champagne.
Barrel Aged Vanilla Sparkling Wine + housemade breads
The vanilla and oak notes in the sparkling wine mirror the warmth of fresh-baked bread in a way that's more intentional than it looks — it's the one pairing on this menu where the bakery DNA and the wine list actually connect.
The Bottom Line
On the Rise is a genuinely charming spot for baked goods and brunch, but its wine program is an afterthought with three options and zero depth. Order the bread, skip the wine list, and grab a coffee instead.
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