Solid pours for a lively college-town night out
College Area / Mount Royal · Duluth · American Gastropub · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 12, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Tavern on the Hill’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Tavern on the Hill is exactly what you'd expect from a buzzy gastropub near UMD — short, approachable, and built for people who want a glass with their burger, not a dissertation. Ten labels, mostly California with a nod to Argentina, and nothing here is going to surprise you. But for Duluth, the prices are honest and the list does its job.
The list leans heavily on reliable, widely distributed labels: Frontera anchors the entry tier, Line 39 handles the crisp whites, and J Lohr and 1000 Stories carry the prestige end. There's a Trvento Malbec from Argentina that adds a welcome bit of geographic variety, and the Harken Chardonnay gives you a buttery California option beyond the Frontera baseline. What's missing is anything adventurous — no Rhône, no Spanish, no natural or minimal-intervention options — but this is a tacos-and-cheese-curds crowd, not a wine bar clientele, so the list fits the room. The gaps don't hurt; the lack of ambition is just noted.
Eight of the ten bottles pour by the glass, which is a high conversion rate and genuinely useful for a group with mixed preferences. The range runs from Oliver Moscato for the sweet-wine crowd through to 1000 Stories Pinot Noir for anyone wanting something with a little more weight. Prices top out at $10, which is refreshingly sane for 2024.
Trvento Malbec — $8/glass, $32/bottle
Trvento is a solid Mendoza producer owned by Navarro Correas, and this pours at a price that doesn't make you wince. At $32 a bottle you're getting a ripe, food-friendly red that holds its own next to the steak bites or an Angus burger — a better deal than anything at the $40 ceiling.
1000 Stories Pinot Noir
Most people at a gastropub skip right past Pinot Noir, but 1000 Stories makes a bourbon barrel-aged version that's genuinely interesting — smoky, dark-fruited, and a step above what the $10 price tag implies. It's the most characterful pour on the list and almost nobody orders it.
Frontera Chardonnay
Frontera is a Concha y Toro workhorse that retails for around $6 a bottle — at $7.75 a glass the markup math is uncomfortable. It's not a bad wine, it's just a thin value proposition when the Harken Chardonnay is sitting right next to it for a dollar more and drinks considerably better.
1000 Stories Pinot Noir + Tavern Steak Bites
The bourbon barrel aging on this Pinot brings a warm, smoky backbone that echoes the char on the steak bites without steamrolling the meat. It's lighter than a Cab but has enough structure to handle the fat — a better call than defaulting to the J Lohr.
Happy Hour — $1 off wine during happy hour promotion
The Bottom Line
Tavern on the Hill is not a destination wine spot, but it's a fair, unpretentious list that earns its keep in a fun room. If you're in the neighborhood and want a decent glass with your pizza, you won't leave disappointed — just don't come in expecting anything beyond the basics.
· Duluth · Brewpub
Lake Superior Brewing has no business having a wine list this interesting, and we mean that as a full compliment. If you're in Duluth and you want to drink wine somewhere that actually thought about it, this brewpub is the surprising answer.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Duluth · Cocktail Bar
This is a cocktail bar that slipped a legitimately interesting nine-bottle wine list into the corner without making a big deal about it — and we respect the quiet confidence. Don't come here for a deep cellar experience, but do come here knowing you have real options beyond the well liquor.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Duluth · Italian
Va Bene is presumably doing something right in the kitchen, but the wine list is a two-item afterthought that tells you this place doesn't take wine seriously. Order a glass, enjoy your pasta, and don't expect anything more.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Duluth · European / Hotel Restaurant
Midi is doing more with 38 labels than most hotel restaurants do with 80. The aromatic white selection alone makes it worth a serious look, and the pricing won't leave you feeling robbed on the way out.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Duluth · Italian-American and Pizza
Sammy's is a Duluth institution and the pizza earns its reputation — the wine list is just not the point, and the restaurant isn't pretending otherwise. Order a beer or grab the cheapest glass pour, eat the pizza, and be happy.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Canal Park · Duluth · American, Bar, Pizza
Old Chicago Duluth isn't a wine destination and doesn't pretend to be — it's a reliable fallback for the table member who wants a glass of something decent while everyone else works through the tap list. If you stick to the Ste. Michelle Riesling, you'll leave satisfied; just don't come here expecting anything that will make you put down your pizza.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Old Town · Scottsdale · American Gastropub
A long wine list that mixes Arizona and California bottles with Italian, French and Spanish wines, posted as pairs like 14 / 44 and single prices like 86. Start with the 13 / 48 Les Hauts Plateaux Rosé, or the 101 Scythians Red if you want the one Cucamonga Valley wine, and ask what each number in a pair covers. The restaurant's menus page and its linked PDF differ on some wines, so confirm before you go. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
The Loop · Chicago · American Gastropub
A glass list that tags every pour by style, with 18 wines from $15 to $25 and a 128-line bottle list from $50 to $550. Start with The Gage Brut at $15 or the Troupis 'Ekato' orange Moschofilero at $16, and confirm prices because the menu is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
· Yountville · American Gastropub
Goose & Gander is playing a different game than most Napa gastropubs — the Paul Hobbs curatorial thread pulls the list into genuinely unexpected territory, from Armenian Areni to Galician Godello, without abandoning the California core that belongs here. If you're in Yountville and want a wine list that gives you something to talk about, this is the move.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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