Come for the beer, skip the wine list
Anaheim Packing House · Anaheim · Beer Bar / Gastropub · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 16, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Iron Press’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The Iron Press is a craft beer bar through and through — the reclaimed wood, the flight paddles, the waffle sandwich menu all scream beer destination. Wine is an afterthought here, and the list (such as it is) makes no effort to hide that fact. If you're walking in for a Pinot, recalibrate.
There's no evidence of a curated or considered wine program at The Iron Press. What exists is likely a short, generic list of crowd-pleasing bottles — the kind you'd find at any casual gastropub that needs to have something for the person at the table who doesn't drink beer. Expect big commercial names, no regional depth, and zero adventurousness. The focus here is firmly on the 30+ tap handles, and that's exactly where the attention should stay.
By-the-glass options almost certainly exist in some form, but nothing about the program suggests they're worth getting excited about. Think house red, house white, maybe a rosé — the kind of pours that exist to check a box. If you're in a group and need wine, order a bottle of whatever sounds least offensive and move on.
The Bottom Line
The Iron Press is genuinely great at what it does — creative waffle sandwiches, serious craft beer, a fun Packing House vibe — but wine is not part of that story. Order a flight, eat a Monte Cristo, and leave the wine order for another night.
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Marri's punches above its weight for a pizza spot — the Italian selections are genuine, the prices are honest, and the list doesn't insult you. We'd send a friend here without hesitation, especially if they order the Valpolicella.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Anaheim · Seafood / Steak
McCormick & Schmick's Anaheim won't impress anyone who thinks about wine for more than thirty seconds, but the prices are fair and the Wairau River is a legit pour. Order the Sauvignon Blanc, eat your seafood, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Anaheim · Southern / American
House of Blues Anaheim does a lot of things — live music, big crowds, Southern comfort food — and wine is clearly not one of them. Order the cocktail, enjoy the show, and save your serious bottle for somewhere that actually cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Anaheim · Wine Bistro / Californian
California Vintage is a genuinely fun concept — all-BTG everything, a solid California-forward list, and a format built for grazing and experimenting. Just watch the markups: the top half of this list gets expensive fast, and the value is almost entirely at the entry level.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Anaheim · Anaheim · Wine bar / small plates
Colony Wine Merchant is the Wild Card Anaheim didn't know it needed — a thoughtful, fairly priced list with genuine international reach tucked into a city better known for theme parks. If you're in the area and want a real glass of wine, this is the move.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Anaheim · Speakeasy / Gastropub
The Blind Rabbit has nailed the aesthetic and completely phoned in the wine program. Five flat-priced grocery-tier bottles is not a wine list — it's a placeholder. Order a cocktail; that's clearly where the care went.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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