Lake Views, Monday Deals, Solid Pours
Fitger's / Waterfront · Duluth · Upscale American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 12, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Boat Club Restaurant & Bar’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Boat Club with Lake Superior sprawling outside the windows, the wine list feels like it belongs here — ambitious enough to match the upscale supper-club energy, approachable enough that you're not intimidated ordering a bottle before your walleye arrives. There's a sommelier on staff, which immediately signals this isn't a list that was phoned in. The range covers Spain, Italy, and California, which is a reasonable footprint for a Duluth waterfront room.
The list leans pan-European with California filling out the familiar end of things — Spain and Italy get meaningful representation, which is more than most Upper Midwest steakhouses bother with. Radio Boka Tempranillo from Valencia anchors the Spanish section as the house red, a crowd-pleaser that moves volume but doesn't tell the whole story. We'd love to see more depth in Burgundy, Northern Rhône, or even domestic Pinot to complement all that fresh seafood, but what's here is curated rather than dumped. Rosé and Champagne options round things out for a list that clearly has a sommelier's fingerprints on it.
Twelve to eighteen by-the-glass options is genuinely generous for a Duluth restaurant — you're not stuck choosing between two house pours and a mystery Chardonnay. The glass program appears to rotate with the seasons, which keeps it from going stale. The Radio Boka Tempranillo is almost certainly your everyday glass red here, and at this price point it's a dependable, easy-drinking pour.
Radio Boka Tempranillo 2020 — Unknown — bottle list pricing not published
This Valencia Tempranillo retails for $8–$10 a bottle, so even at restaurant markup it should land at a price where you can order a second without flinching. It's fruity, low-tannin, and honest — exactly what you want with a steak when you don't want to think too hard. Show up on a Monday and you're looking at serious value.
Radio Boka Tempranillo 2020 on Monday half-price
Most people treat the Monday half-price bottle night as a footnote. It isn't. Applying broadly to the bottle list after 4pm means you can reach past the house wine into something more interesting on their list at half the markup — making an already fair bottle genuinely excellent value. It's the best deal in Duluth wine right now and most people dining here don't know it exists.
House Champagne / Sparkling by the glass
We don't have the specific label, but house Champagne pours at upscale American spots with steep markups are almost always the worst math on the menu. A glass of anonymous bubbly at a 4–5x markup when you could put that money toward a half-price bottle on a Monday is a hard sell. Hold the bubbles for a special occasion and bring a better reason to pop something.
Radio Boka Tempranillo 2020 + Filet Mignon
Tempranillo and beef is one of the least controversial calls in food and wine — the fruit-forward, medium-bodied profile of Radio Boka won't overpower a filet the way a big Cab might, and the wine's subtle earthiness plays well against seared meat. It's not a complicated pairing, but it's the right one, and it's the right price to match a $40 entree without making the whole meal feel like a financial event.
Monday — Half-price bottles of wine after 4pm on Mondays — applies broadly to the bottle list, not just house wines.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Boat Club is a reliable wine room for Duluth — a sommelier on staff, a genuinely broad glass pour program, and a Monday half-price bottle deal that should be on every local's calendar. The markups keep it from being a Rager, but if you play the specials and lean into the European selections, you'll drink well with a great view.
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
West Duluth · Duluth · American, bar & grill
Grandma's Saloon is a genuinely fun West Duluth institution, but the wine list is an afterthought and everyone involved knows it. Order a local beer, enjoy the ribs, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that shares it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Miller Hill · Duluth · American, bar & grill
Grandma's Miller Hill is a beloved Duluth institution, but the wine list has never been the reason to show up — and with the location closing in May 2026, it's not getting better. Order a beer, enjoy the nostalgia, and save the wine for somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Miller Hill · Duluth · Casual American steakhouse with Australian-themed branding
Outback Duluth is a perfectly fine place to eat a steak; it is not a place to think about wine. Order the Alamos Malbec, enjoy your sirloin, and save the wine exploration for somewhere that's doing the work.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
College Area / Mount Royal · Duluth · American Gastropub
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.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Bluff Street / West St. George · St. George · Upscale American
Cliffside is a great place to eat in St. George, and a fine place to drink if you manage your expectations — the wine list won't excite you, but it won't embarrass you either. Order the Riesling, watch the sunset, and save the serious wine hunting for somewhere else.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Meridian Corridor · Carmel · Upscale American
Stone Creek Carmel is a reliable neighborhood option if you know what you want and you're not expecting any curveballs. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Saint M Riesling at half price, and you've got a genuinely good evening — any other night, the markup makes it harder to love.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown Bethlehem · Allentown · Upscale American
1741 on the Terrace isn't trying to be a wine destination, but the fortified and dessert wine program alone is worth the visit — it's genuinely rare to find this much care put into the end-of-meal pours. Come for the atmosphere, stay through dessert.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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