Mountain Lodge Hides a Serious California Cellar
Lake Toxaway · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 21, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Greystone Inn Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
You're sitting in an Appalachian mountain inn with lake views through every window, and someone hands you a wine list that reads like a greatest-hits tour of Napa. It's a pleasant surprise — this isn't the kind of place you expect to find Opus One and Far Niente sharing page space. The list has genuine ambition, even if it doesn't always swing for the fences.
The list runs 150-250 bottles and leans hard into California, which is exactly what Wine Spectator flagged when they gave it the Award of Excellence back in 2018 — a credential it's held ever since. You've got the reliable heavyweights: Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Stag's Leap, Duckhorn, Rombauer, Cakebread — the kind of lineup that pleases the crowd and offends no one. What's missing is any real adventure: no Oregon Pinot to speak of, no interesting Old World detours, and the diversity beyond California is thin. For a fine-dining inn in the mountains, it's a polished but narrow vision.
The by-the-glass program runs 10-20 options, which is respectable for a property this size and this remote. Wednesday is the real reason to plan your visit mid-week — half-price wine night turns an already decent glass into a genuine steal. Don't expect constant rotation; this is a set-and-manage program, not a list that's changing with the seasons.
Stag's Leap Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 — $82
Artemis is a legitimate wine from one of Napa's most storied names, and at $82 it's the most reasonable entry point into the Cabernet heavy-hitters on this list — especially compared to Silver Oak and Opus One eating up the upper end of the budget.
Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 2021
Most tables at Greystone are reaching for Rombauer, which is fine — but Chateau Montelena is the wine that won the Judgment of Paris and it quietly sits at $88 here. It's leaner, more mineral-driven, and more interesting than the buttery crowd-pleasers dominating this list.
Opus One 2018
At $425 a bottle, Opus One is a trophy buy, not a value play. You're paying for the name and the moment, and while the wine is undeniably great, you can have an excellent night here for a fraction of that price. Save Opus One for a cellar that earned it.
Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 + Filet mignon with blue cheese crust
Duckhorn's structure and dark fruit hold up against the richness of a filet, and the blue cheese crust needs a wine with enough body to push back — this one does the job without overwhelming the plate.
Wednesday — Half-price wine night every Wednesday — applies to bottles on the wine list.
The Bottom Line
The Greystone Inn is a legitimately charming place to drink wine in the mountains, and the California-focused list has enough depth to satisfy most tables without much fuss. If you go on a Wednesday, the half-price wine night makes this one of the better dining values in the region — just don't come expecting adventure.
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Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Eagle Ranch · Vail · American
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Waterfront · Traverse City · American
Warehouse Kitchen + Cork won't win any awards for depth or ambition, but it plays its hand honestly — fair prices, solid local representation, and a full by-the-glass program that respects your wallet. If you're in Traverse City and want a glass of something local with a water view, this works.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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