Great Beer Town, Forgettable Wine Stop
Downtown · Reno · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 19, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Depot Craft Brewery Distillery’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walking into The Depot, a beautifully restored historic train station humming with energy, you immediately understand that beer and spirits are running this show. The wine list feels like an afterthought tucked onto the back of a menu that's really just excited to tell you about its IPAs and barrel-aged whiskeys. That's not a crime — but it does set expectations fast.
The list is short and lands squarely in grocery store territory: Bogle, Josh Cellars, Dark Horse, Ménage à Trois — these are the wines you grab when you're hosting a party of 40 and don't want to think too hard. There's a California-and-Pacific-Northwest lean, which at least makes geographic sense for Reno, but there's no depth to speak of, no interesting producers, and no sense that anyone curated this with intention. If you're hoping for a Willamette Valley Pinot or even a halfway adventurous Central Coast find, keep walking. This list exists to check a box, not to excite anyone.
You've got somewhere between four and eight pours available by the glass, priced in the $10–$16 range, which would be reasonable if the wines justified it — but these are supermarket staples poured at a premium. There's no rotation to speak of and no indication that the glass program gets any meaningful attention. Order a house cocktail or one of their craft beers instead; you'll get far more for your money.
Bogle Chardonnay California 2022 — $32
It's still a $12 bottle marked up to $32, so 'best value' is relative here — but if you're locked into ordering wine at The Depot, Bogle Chardonnay is the least painful choice. It's an inoffensive, well-made crowd-pleaser that at least drinks cleanly without embarrassing anyone at the table.
Dark Horse Sauvignon Blanc 2023
Nobody orders this here, which is understandable given the brewpub crowd. But a cold glass of crisp Sauvignon Blanc actually cuts through the richness of their house-smoked meats better than you'd expect. It's still overpriced at $28, but it's the most food-friendly wine on this list and consistently gets ignored.
Dark Horse Sauvignon Blanc 2023
Wait — yes, we just called it a hidden gem for food pairing, but at 180% markup on a $10 retail bottle, it's also the most egregious value on the list. If you're not ordering food, skip it entirely. A $10 bottle has no business sitting at $28 anywhere, let alone a brewpub.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 + House-Smoked Meats
Josh Cab is a soft, fruit-forward wine with just enough structure to hold up against smoky, savory proteins without fighting them. It's not a revelation, but it works — and on a menu built around craft burgers and smoked meats, it's the most logical match the list has to offer.
The Bottom Line
The Depot is a genuinely fun spot for craft beer and cocktails in a killer historic space — but the wine list is strictly along for the ride, stocked with supermarket brands at steep markups and zero sense of curation. If wine is your priority tonight, eat here, drink beer, and save the bottle for somewhere else.
Downtown / Casino Row · Reno · Upscale American Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Reno is a reliable, well-run steakhouse wine program inside a casino resort — competent glassware, proper storage, and a sommelier who knows the list cold. Just don't come here looking for discovery; come here knowing exactly what you want and prepared to pay full freight for it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · Reno · American small plates, tapas-style, steakhouse-influenced
Sierra St. Kitchen punches above its weight for downtown Reno — the list has real producers, genuine range, and a sommelier keeping it honest. Just know the markups are real, and steer toward the Old World and Pacific Northwest bottles where the value hides.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · Reno · Italian – Tuscan & Coastal
Calafuria isn't trying to be a destination wine list — it's trying to be the right wine list for this restaurant, and it mostly succeeds. Send your friends here if they want something Italian that doesn't feel phoned in; just don't expect fireworks beyond the bottle.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Northwest Reno · Reno · Health-focused American café with organic, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and paleo options
Great Full Gardens isn't a wine destination and it doesn't pretend to be — but for a health-focused café in Northwest Reno, the glass prices are honest and the pours are solid enough to enjoy alongside the food. Send a friend here for lunch, just don't tell them to order the Chardonnay.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · Reno · New American / Fine Dining
LuLou's wine list won't win any awards, but it won't ruin your dinner either — and in a city where restaurant wine programs often feel like an afterthought, that counts for something. Send a friend here for a solid meal with a bottle of Jordan; just don't expect to discover anything new.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Eldorado Resort Casino · Reno · Californian / Steakhouse
Roxy isn't a destination wine program — it's a competent casino steakhouse list with the right bottles for the room. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Jordan at half price, and you'll leave happy.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· McKinney · New American
Gather isn't trying to be a wine destination, and that's okay — but the $63 Syrah by the glass and the static, California-heavy list suggest the program hasn't been pushed in a while. Stick to the mid-tier pours, order the Chianti, and enjoy it for what it is: a casual neighborhood spot where the wine won't derail the evening.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Fort Wayne · New American
Copper Spoon proves you don't need a 200-bottle binder to run a thoughtful wine program — you just need to care about what you put on the list. For Fort Wayne, this is genuinely one of the better places to order a bottle without second-guessing yourself.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Jersey City · New American
Mathews isn't a destination wine list, but it's honest, fairly priced, and more thoughtful than it looks at first glance. Send a friend here if they want a good glass without a lecture.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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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