Clothing-optional pool, clothes-on wine list
Bywater · New Orleans · American, Creole · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 15, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Country Club’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The Country Club is already winning on vibe before you even crack the wine list — a sprawling Bywater mansion with a clothing-optional pool and Creole comfort food on the menu is not where you expect to find a Wine Spectator-recognized program. But here we are. The list is approachable and priced sanely, which earns immediate goodwill.
California and France anchor this 150-plus bottle list, which reads like a thoughtfully assembled neighborhood restaurant wine program rather than anything trying too hard to impress. You've got Jordan Cab and Caymus on the California side — crowd-pleasing, yes, but at least they're the real thing — and Louis Jadot handling the French flank with reasonable Burgundy coverage. Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling rounds out a solid supporting cast. The gaps are real: South America, Spain, and Italy are underrepresented, and this list isn't going to surprise anyone who drinks seriously. But it fits the room.
Twelve to eighteen pours by the glass in the $10–$18 range gives you enough to work with across a full meal without feeling trapped. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc and Meiomi Pinot Noir show up as expected workhorses, but that's fine — they're here for the pool crowd, not the Burgundy nerds. There's no indication the glass program rotates much, so don't expect seasonal surprises.
Jordan Vineyard & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon — $75
Jordan consistently retails around $50-55, so restaurant pricing here stays reasonable rather than gouging. It's a polished, food-friendly Cab that holds its own against the fried chicken and shrimp and grits without steamrolling the flavors.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Nobody at a New Orleans Creole table is ordering the Riesling, and that's a mistake. The slight sweetness and bright acidity cut right through the richness of shrimp and grits in a way a Cab simply can't. Underordered, underappreciated, and almost certainly priced low.
Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is fine wine, but it's also the most marked-up brand in America at this point. You're paying for the name recognition more than anything in your glass, and Jordan does the same job for less money on this list.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling + Shrimp and Grits
The Riesling's gentle sweetness mirrors the natural sweetness of Gulf shrimp while its acidity keeps the creamy grits from feeling heavy. It's a smarter call than reaching for a Chardonnay, and it makes the dish taste more like New Orleans.
🎲 The Bottom Line
The Country Club is a genuinely wild New Orleans experience that happens to have a respectable, fairly priced wine list attached — and that's more than most places with a pool and a clothing policy can say. Send a friend here for the vibe, tell them to order the Riesling with the shrimp and grits, and let the afternoon take care of itself.
· New Orleans · Restaurant
Emeril's wine list punches above its size with smart French selections and a genuine commitment to aged bottles — but the markup is real and the by-the-glass story is unclear. Go in knowing what you want and you'll drink well; go in blind and your wallet may feel the consequences.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Proper
New Orleans · New Orleans · American, Steakhouse
Chemin a La Mer is a solid steakhouse wine list wearing a French accent — dependable, occasionally exciting, and priced for the occasion rather than the adventurous drinker. If you're here for the river views and a bone-in cut, the wine list will take care of you without surprises.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
French Quarter · New Orleans · Creole, French
Tableau is a reliable, well-curated stop for serious wine drinkers who also want one of the better dining rooms in the French Quarter. The list earns its Wine Spectator nod — just keep an eye on which bottles you're reaching for if the check matters.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
French Quarter / Riverfront · New Orleans · Creole
Miss River earns its Wine Spectator nod — this is a genuinely thoughtful list tucked inside a hotel restaurant, with a real sommelier and real producers backing it up. Markup keeps it from being a destination for the wine alone, but paired with the food, it's one of the better all-in dining experiences on the river.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Warehouse District · New Orleans · Regional
Meril is a reliable wine destination in a city that doesn't always take its wine lists seriously — with a real sommelier, a credible California-France selection, and fair pricing, it earns its Award of Excellence the honest way. Send a friend here, tell them to look past the obvious Napa picks, and let Lauren Briley's list do the rest.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
French Quarter · New Orleans · French, European
MaMou is a Burgundy love letter set inside a French Quarter bistro, and for the right diner — someone who wants to eat duck confit and drink Drouhin — it absolutely delivers. Just know what you're walking into: a focused, France-first list with prices that reflect it.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Columbia · Columbia · American, Creole
Glenn's Café is a dependable wine destination by mid-Missouri standards — not flashy, but fairly priced and backed by a legitimate Wine Spectator track record. Send a friend here knowing they'll drink well without any nasty surprises on the bill.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Covington · Covington · American, Creole
The Dakota is doing something genuinely rare for suburban Louisiana: running a wine program with the discipline and depth of a serious urban destination, backed by two decades of Wine Spectator recognition and a sommelier who clearly knows the list cold. If you're in the greater New Orleans area and haven't made the drive to Covington for this, you're leaving a Rager on the table.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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