Sioux Falls hiding a serious wine secret
East Bank Downtown · Sioux Falls · Wine Bar & Kitchen · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed R Wine Bar’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into R Wine Bar on Sioux Falls' East Bank, you don't expect what you find: a genuinely considered wine program in a city better known for its falls than its Burgundy. The list is tight at 50 bottles, but it punches above its weight class with real producers and a clear point of view. Italy and France anchor the list, and someone here actually knows why.
The Italian and Tuscan focus gives the list a spine — this isn't just a grab-bag of crowd-pleasers, it reads like someone did their homework in Florence and brought notes home. Gary Farrell shows up heavily on the California side, with multiple single-vineyard Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from Russian River Valley that signal a real commitment to terroir-driven wines. JM Gobillard Brut Grande Reserve anchors the Champagne section with a grower-leaning choice that's a cut above the usual Moët default most restaurants reach for. The gaps are real — no meaningful Southern Hemisphere presence, thin on Spain — but what's here has intention behind it.
Twenty by-the-glass options is a generous pour for a 50-bottle list, meaning nearly half the cellar is accessible without a full bottle commitment — a smart move for a wine bar crowd that wants to explore. We'd expect solid rotation given the active wine dinner and wine class programming, which suggests the team is keeping things moving and fresh. If you're flying solo or on a weeknight, this is the right place to work through a few pours and find something you didn't know you liked.
JM Gobillard Brut Grande Reserve Champagne — null
Gobillard is a legitimate grower Champagne house in Hautvillers — the kind of bottle that costs considerably more at a big-city wine bar. Choosing this over a négociant brand shows taste, and if the pricing reflects that restraint, it's the move here.
Gary Farrell Hallberg Vineyard Pinot Noir
Most people see Gary Farrell and order the Russian River bottling because it's familiar. The Hallberg Vineyard is a single-site pour that tells a more specific story — cooler, more precise, built to age. It's the bottle for anyone who actually wants to taste place.
Gary Farrell Russian River Chardonnay
It's a good wine, but it's the safest, most recognizable pick on the California side of the list — and likely priced accordingly. If you're going to drink Gary Farrell Chardonnay, step up to the Olivet Lane Vineyard bottling instead. More specificity, more interest, worth the difference.
Gary Farrell Olivet Lane Vineyard Chardonnay + Charcuterie Board
Olivet Lane's Chardonnay brings enough texture and restrained fruit to hold its own against cured meats and aged cheeses without steamrolling them. It's the kind of wine that makes a charcuterie board taste like a real dinner.
🎲 The Bottom Line
R Wine Bar is the best wine program you didn't know existed in South Dakota, and that's exactly what makes it worth the detour. A sommelier on staff, grower Champagne, single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, and an active events calendar — this place is doing the work.
Southwest Sioux Falls (Lake Lorraine area) · Sioux Falls · Casual American bar bites and light fare
This is a lobby bar wine list at a business hotel — it was never trying to be more than that, and it isn't. Grab a beer or a cocktail, save the wine for dinner somewhere in town.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls · Hotel Restaurant / American
This is a wine list for people who aren't thinking about wine, and that's fine — the Holiday Inn City Centre isn't trying to be a wine destination. Order the Ste. Michelle Riesling, skip everything else, and save the real drinking for somewhere else in Sioux Falls.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Southwest Sioux Falls (Empire Mall/85th & Western corridor) · Sioux Falls · Upscale American Steakhouse
Morrie's is a reliable steakhouse wine list in a city where that already puts it near the top of the pack — the Coravin program shows genuine ambition, but the core list plays it too safe to earn anything beyond a confident recommendation for a special-occasion dinner. Come for the Tomahawk, drink the Zinfandel, skip the house Chardonnay.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
South Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls · Italian · Steakhouse
Spezia is a reliable dinner option in Sioux Falls if you want a recognizable bottle with a nice steak and no surprises. Just don't expect the wine list to challenge you — it's here to comfort, not to excite.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown – Empire Mall area · Sioux Falls · American and Sushi
CRAVE is the rare hotel restaurant wine list that clears the bar rather than crawling under it — the by-the-glass selection is better than the room deserves, even if the markups could use some recalibration. Send a friend here for wine? Sure, as long as they're not expecting to geek out.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Sioux Falls · Mexican, Enchilada-Focused
Mama's Ladas is a great little spot for enchiladas — the wine list just isn't why you're here, and it doesn't try to be. Order the sangria, enjoy your meal, and save the serious wine for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.