Orange wine on the Kalamazoo Mall? Yes.
Downtown Kalamazoo Mall · Kalamazoo · New American Gastropub · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 15, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Principle Food & Drink’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Seventeen labels isn't a lot to work with, but whoever built this list clearly had a point of view — and that point of view includes an orange wine from the Berlou in the Languedoc, which is not something you stumble across at your average downtown gastropub. The brick walls and cocktail-forward vibe suggest wine is a supporting player here, but it's a surprisingly interesting supporting player.
The list punches above its weight for the format: you've got a Franschhoek Chenin Blanc from South Africa, a Patagonian Sauvignon Blanc from Wapisa, a Friulian Pinot Grigio from Scarpetta, and the Jean-Marie Rimbert orange wine sitting next to Veuve Clicquot. That's a genuinely eclectic mix for 17 labels. The red side is thinner — Venge Signal Fire Zinfandel and a La Font du Loup Châteauneuf-du-Pape anchor it, but there's not much depth beyond the headliners. Bordeaux and Champagne check the crowd-pleaser boxes, but it's the left-field picks that make this list worth a second look.
Eleven of seventeen bottles are available by the glass, which is a generous pour-to-bottle ratio and great news for table exploration. Glass prices run $9–$13, keeping things accessible without feeling cheap. There's no evidence of regular rotation, so what you see is probably what you'll get visit to visit.
Protea Chenin Blanc 2023 — $9/glass
Franschhoek Chenin Blanc at $9 a glass is hard to beat — South Africa consistently overdelivers at this price point, and Protea is a clean, reliable producer. This is the move if you want something interesting without overthinking it.
Jean-Marie Rimbert Vin Orange 2021
Most people at a gastropub are going to scroll right past this. Don't. Rimbert is a serious Languedoc producer and this orange wine from Berlou has the kind of texture and complexity that makes it worth the slight weirdness of ordering it. It's the most adventurous thing on the list by a wide margin.
Veuve Clicquot NV
At $120 a bottle, you're paying a significant premium for a label everyone already knows. Veuve is a fine Champagne, but it's widely available, and that price tag suggests the restaurant knows it's a status order. The Mistinguette Rosé Brut from Barcelona at a fraction of the cost will serve the same festive moment.
La Font du Loup Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2022 + Pork belly small plate
A Southern Rhône Châteauneuf has the structure and fruit weight to stand up to rich, fatty pork belly without getting lost. La Font du Loup is a solid producer and this is the kind of pairing that makes a $120 bottle feel earned rather than extravagant.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Principle isn't a wine destination, but it's a wine list that clearly had some thought put into it — a rare thing for a cocktail-first downtown spot. Send a curious friend here and tell them to order the orange wine.
West Main Hill · Kalamazoo · Bar / Lounge with cocktails and light bites
Henderson Castle Rooftop Lounge is a Wild Card through and through — you're not coming here for list depth, you're coming because it's a castle rooftop in Michigan with estate wines poured under open sky, and that's a legitimate reason. Just set your expectations accordingly: this is a vibe destination with a house wine program, not a destination wine bar.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Main Hill · Kalamazoo · Steakhouse / American Fine Dining
The Henderson Castle is a genuinely spectacular place to have dinner, and the wine list is its most underwhelming feature. Go for the atmosphere and the steaks, drink the Riesling or the Meritage, and don't come here expecting a deep cellar — there's a literal wine cave on the property but the list doesn't fully live up to the theater of it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Kalamazoo · Kalamazoo · Mediterranean and Spanish-inspired small plates
Fandango is the kind of wine program that makes you wonder why you haven't been going here for years. Fair pricing, serious range, and enough depth to reward multiple visits — yes, send your friends, and tell them to skip the cocktail menu.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
West Main Hill · Kalamazoo · Middle Eastern and Mediterranean
Zooroona isn't a wine destination, but it's doing something smarter than most casual spots in its category — leaning into Lebanese producers to match its food. If you're here for shawarma and mezze, order the Massaya or the Musar Jeune and don't overthink it.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Texas Corners · Kalamazoo · Contemporary American Steakhouse
Bold is a reliable neighborhood steakhouse with a wine list that matches the room — safe, familiar, and priced like they know you're here to celebrate. If you're chasing something adventurous in the glass, keep hunting; if you just want a decent pour with a great steak, it gets the job done.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Radisson Plaza Hotel · Kalamazoo · Contemporary American, wood-fired and seasonal
Brick and Brine is doing more with a hotel wine list than most restaurants in its category bother to attempt — there's genuine range here and a few wines worth getting excited about. The markups are real and the California-heavy tilt won't surprise anyone, but if you know where to look, you can drink well.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Massachusetts Street · Lawrence · New American Gastropub
Merchants is a beer bar that quietly runs the best sparkling wine list in Lawrence — and with Happy Hour discounts daily and a local glass pour option from VinZant, it's genuinely worth ordering wine here. Just don't show up expecting a red with your burger.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Downtown · New Haven · New American Gastropub
Elm City Social is a great spot for cocktails, a rooftop, and fried chicken and waffles — the wine list is an afterthought, and it knows it. If you're coming here for wine, recalibrate; if you're coming here for a good time and happen to want a glass of something red, the Killka will do the job.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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