Great Bourbon Bar, Wine List Forgot to Show Up
Downtown · La Crosse · American Gastropub · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 19, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The Crow’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The Crow is clearly a bourbon and craft beer bar that also happens to have wine — and it shows. The list reads like someone grabbed the most recognizable labels at a distributor meeting and called it done. Nothing offensive, nothing exciting.
Ten bottles, almost entirely California, with a token Riesling from Germany and a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand rounding things out. Josh Cellars appears twice, which tells you most of what you need to know about the ambition level here. The one genuinely interesting move is the inclusion of Elmaro Rosa, a rosé from Trempealeau, Wisconsin — a local producer that actually gives the list a reason to exist. Everything else is grocery store shelf real estate.
The entire list is by the glass, which at least means nothing is sitting around half-empty for a week. With 8–10 pours priced between $7 and $12, the damage is minimal. Rotation appears nonexistent — this list looks like it hasn't changed since the restaurant opened.
Elmaro Rosa — $9
A Wisconsin-made rosé from Trempealeau — about 60 miles up the river — that actually belongs on a local restaurant's list. Interesting, genuine, and probably the only glass here you can't find at every other bar in town.
J.J. Müller Riesling
Most people at a gastropub are reaching for the Cab or the Chardonnay. The Riesling gets ignored, which is a shame — it's the most food-versatile wine on the list and will make the spicy wings taste better than anything else here.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
Perfectly drinkable, totally unremarkable, and available at every gas station with a liquor license. You drove downtown for this?
J.J. Müller Riesling + Mac and Cheese
The Riesling's acidity and subtle sweetness cut through the richness of a heavy mac and cheese better than any red on this list. It's the move most people won't make, which is exactly why you should.
The Bottom Line
The Crow is a legitimately fun bar — just come for the bourbon and craft beer, not the wine. If you need a glass, grab the Elmaro Rosa to support a local producer and call it a night.
· La Crosse · Wine Bar
The Wine Guyz earns its Wild Card badge by being something La Crosse didn't necessarily need but clearly does: a real wine bar with range, a relaxed atmosphere, and food that goes beyond bar snacks. We'd send a curious wine drinker here without hesitation — just go in ready to ask questions, since the list doesn't live online and the real program reveals itself in person.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· La Crosse · Hotel Restaurant / American
This is a wine list that exists because the hotel felt obligated to have one, not because anyone thought carefully about it. Order a beer or a cocktail and move on.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· La Crosse · Steakhouse / Smokehouse
Piggy's isn't trying to be a wine destination, and that's fine — but for a smokehouse in La Crosse, the list is fair, the pricing doesn't embarrass itself, and there are a couple of genuinely solid bottles if you know where to look. Order the Seghesio, eat the ribs, and leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · La Crosse · French-Influenced New American
For a hotel restaurant in La Crosse, The Charmant's wine list is a genuine surprise — thoughtfully assembled, fairly priced, and hiding at least two or three bottles that serious wine drinkers would seek out anywhere. Send a friend here and tell them to order the Radikon.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· La Crosse · Steakhouse / American
Freight House is a dependable steakhouse wine list — fair prices, familiar names, no nasty surprises. If you're looking for discovery, look elsewhere; if you're looking for a solid bottle to go with a good cut of meat in La Crosse, you'll leave satisfied.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Onalaska · La Crosse · American / Supper-Club Style
Blue Moon is a dependable neighborhood spot that takes its wine list seriously enough to give you real options without overcomplicating things. Send a friend here if they want a lake view, a fair pour of Chianti, and no stress — just don't send them expecting adventure.
Plays It Safe
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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