Cheddar Bay Biscuits Deserve Better Wine
North Davenport · Davenport · Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 9, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Red Lobster’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Red Lobster Davenport reads like a grocery store shelf that got lost on the way to a chain restaurant — every label is familiar, none of them are exciting. It's a list assembled by a corporate committee somewhere in Orlando, not by anyone who actually cares about what you're drinking with your lobster tail. If you came here hoping to find something interesting in the glass, reset those expectations now.
The 25-or-so bottle list leans hard on California and New Zealand, which makes geographic sense but zero creative sense. You've got Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc representing New Zealand, Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling flying the flag for Washington State, and the rest of the card filled out by Kendall-Jackson, Meiomi, Beringer, and Mark West — brands you've seen at every chain restaurant from here to Tampa. There's no old-world presence worth mentioning, no interesting grower producers, and no sense that anyone curated this list beyond pulling from a national distributor's top-volume SKUs. The Beringer White Zinfandel being on the list in 2024 tells you everything you need to know about the ambition level here.
Eight to fourteen pours by the glass sounds generous until you realize it's basically the whole list — because the list isn't much bigger than that. Rotation is nonexistent; this is a set-it-and-forget-it program that probably hasn't changed since the last menu redesign. Pour sizes are standard, but don't expect any staff enthusiasm about what's in the glass.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $9
It's the one wine on this list that actually makes sense with the food. Ste. Michelle's Columbia Valley Riesling is reliably well-made, has enough acidity to cut through butter sauces, and is typically the least-marked-up option on the card. It's not thrilling, but it's doing its job.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Most tables at Red Lobster are reaching for the Chardonnay or the Pinot Grigio out of habit. The Riesling gets overlooked, which is a shame — it's the best structural match for shellfish and sweet-glazed seafood on the menu, and most people don't give it a shot because the word 'Riesling' still carries a stigma.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay
KJ Vintner's Reserve is a $14 retail bottle and it'll cost you significantly more here for a wine that tastes like oak extract and residual sweetness. It's the most-ordered Chardonnay in America precisely because it's inoffensive, but at chain restaurant markup it's a bad deal for a wine that isn't rewarding anyone.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc + Ultimate Feast
The Ultimate Feast is a lot — lobster, shrimp, scallops, more shrimp — and Kim Crawford's aggressive citrus and herbaceous edge actually holds up against all that richness. It's not a nuanced pairing, but it's a functional one, and frankly functional is the ceiling we're working with here.
The Bottom Line
Red Lobster's wine list exists to check a box, not to enhance your meal. Order the Riesling, enjoy the Cheddar Bay Biscuits, and save the serious wine drinking for somewhere that earned it.
Elmore Avenue · Davenport · Wine Bar & Lounge
The Grape Life is the kind of quietly good wine spot that Davenport probably doesn't fully appreciate yet. It's not trying to be a big-city wine bar, but it's doing more right than most — send a friend here on a Thursday with live music and let the flight menu do the work.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Davenport Village · Davenport · American Cafe, Bistro and Bar
Brew in the Village isn't trying to be a wine destination and it doesn't pretend to be — but Wednesday half-price wine with a food purchase is one of the better deals in Davenport, and the list is priced fairly enough that you won't feel gouged the other six nights. Send a friend here for a low-key weeknight dinner; just tell them to go on a Wednesday.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Greater Quad Cities / Nearby Illinois Side · Davenport · New American / Hotel Restaurant
5th Avenue Syndicate is doing more than most hotel restaurants bother to do with wine — nearly everything is available by the glass, there are a few legitimate picks in the mix, and the pricing, while steep in spots, doesn't cross into outright insulting. Send a friend here if they want something familiar and competent; just steer them away from the Caymus.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Davenport · Davenport · Mexican
Los Primos is a place you go for the food and the margaritas — the wine list is an afterthought and everyone involved seems to know it. Order the cocktails, be happy, and don't let the Merlot talk you into anything.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Davenport · Davenport · Steakhouse / American
Outback's wine list in Davenport is a chain doing the bare minimum — recognizable labels, steep markups, zero ambition. Come for the steak, order the Koonunga Hill if you must have wine, and save your serious wine spending for somewhere that earned it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Davenport · Davenport · Steakhouse, American
Come here for the steak and the rolls — they're genuinely good. But the wine program is an afterthought at best, and you're better off ordering a draft beer or skipping alcohol entirely than wrestling with this list.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Toledo · Seafood
Real Seafood Company clearly puts its energy into the kitchen, and the wine list reflects exactly how much attention is left over — which is almost none. Order the Rotari if you want bubbles, or honestly, just get a cocktail and move on.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Carmel · Carmel By The Sea · Seafood
Catch is a dependable wine stop for a seafood dinner in Carmel — nothing here will disappoint you, but nothing will surprise you either. If you go in with calibrated expectations and order the Schramsberg with your crab, you'll leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Hood River · Hood River · Seafood
Votum is operating a world-class wine program in a town most people only stop through on the way to a hike — the depth of this cellar belongs in a major city restaurant, and the sommelier presence means you're not navigating it alone. The markups on the prestige bottles will sting, but find your entry point and this list rewards serious attention.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
