Cheddar Bay Biscuits Deserve Better Wine
South Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls · Seafood · Chain · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 20, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Red Lobster Sioux Falls reads like a grocery store endcap that someone laminated and called a menu. You'll recognize every label here — not because they're classics, but because they've been on gas station shelves since 2003. It's not offensive, it's just deeply unambitious.
Twenty to thirty-five bottles and the heavy hitters are Sutter Home, Barefoot, and Beringer — brands that exist primarily because they're cheap to produce and easy to recognize. There's a token nod to Italy with Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio, which at least makes geographic sense next to a seafood menu. Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cab shows up like it always does on chain lists, filling the 'serious red' slot without actually being serious. The list is entirely California value brands plus one Italian import, with zero regional exploration, zero small producers, and zero evidence that anyone curated this with the food in mind.
Eight to twelve pours by the glass sounds generous until you realize it's essentially the full list cut in half. Expect Barefoot Moscato, Beringer White Zin, and the Ecco Domani to anchor the glass program — workhorses for a crowd that mostly came for the biscuits. There's no rotation, no seasonal thinking, and no reason to expect what's on the list today differs from what was there two years ago.
Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio — $9
It's not exciting, but it's the most honest choice on the list — light, clean, and at least conceptually correct alongside shrimp or fish. It won't embarrass you.
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon
Most people ordering wine at Red Lobster reach for white, and that's fair. But if you're getting the lobster tail or something rich and buttery, this Cab is actually a more interesting call than the default Chardonnay — it's still a value label, but it has enough structure to hold up.
Beringer White Zinfandel
Sweet, simple, and marked up from a bottle that costs $4 at Target. There's no version of this that makes sense as a restaurant pour. Order a soda instead — at least you'd know what you're getting.
Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio + Ultimate Endless Shrimp
Crisp, neutral white wine and fried or garlic-buttered shrimp is about as uncomplicated as food and wine gets — but it works. The Pinot Grigio doesn't fight the food, and endless shrimp doesn't need a wine that demands your attention.
❌ The Bottom Line
Red Lobster's wine list is chain-restaurant boilerplate — it exists so the menu can say 'wine' and nothing more. Order a cocktail, drink water, or bring a flask: the food can be fun, but the wine program is completely on autopilot.
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.