Seven Wines, Zero Surprises, Move On
· La Crosse · Bar & American Fare · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Old Crow’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
The wine list at The Old Crow is exactly seven bottles long — the same seven you'd find in a gas station cooler if gas stations had coolers for wine. Credit where it's due: the prices are reasonable for a bar, and nobody's pretending this is something it isn't.
This is a straight-down-the-middle grocery store lineup with zero regional ambition. You've got Josh Cellars pulling double duty with a Pinot Noir and a Cab, Kendall-Jackson representing Chardonnay nation, and CK Mondavi handling the sweet stuff. The lone wild card is Yealands Sauvignon Blanc out of New Zealand — a legitimate producer that's marginally more interesting than everything else on the list. Elmaro Rosa is a local Wisconsin touch, which earns a small nod, but the overall picture is a wine program that was assembled in about fifteen minutes and hasn't been touched since.
All seven wines are available by the glass, which means the entire wine program IS the by-the-glass program. At $8–$9 a pour, the pricing won't hurt you, but there's no rotation, no seasonal thinking, and no real reason to revisit. You're getting the same seven options every single time.
Yealands Sauvignon Blanc — $8/glass
Yealands is a solid New Zealand producer that consistently over-delivers for the price point. At $8 a glass, it's the one pour on this list that actually tastes like someone made a deliberate choice.
Elmaro Rosa
Elmaro is a local Wisconsin winery, and ordering their rosé at a La Crosse bar is genuinely the most interesting thing you can do with this wine list. It won't blow your mind, but supporting a regional producer while everyone else orders a Bud Light? That's a quiet win.
CK Mondavi Moscato
CK Mondavi is the budget label from the Mondavi family — not the good one. This is bulk wine dressed up in a familiar name, and sweet Moscato at a bar rarely gets the cold pour temperature it needs to be remotely enjoyable.
Josh Cellars Cabernet + Burger
Josh Cab is crowd-pleasing, fruit-forward, and just tannic enough to stand up to a beef patty. It's not a complex pairing, but at a bar with American fare, it's the most logical match on the list.
The Bottom Line
The Old Crow is a bar first, and the wine list is an afterthought — a short, safe, supermarket-shelf lineup that'll do the job if you absolutely need a glass of something. Order a beer or a cocktail instead; this is not your wine destination.
· La Crosse · Upscale American
Pogreba's wine list is a well-intentioned, Napa-centric lineup that serves its room without taking many risks — and in La Crosse, Wisconsin, that's probably the right call. Send a friend here if they want a reliable bottle at a fair price; tell the adventurous drinker to order the Riesling and stop overthinking it.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· La Crosse · Italian
Ciatti's isn't going to make anyone's wine pilgrimage list, but it's a genuinely solid neighborhood Italian with fair prices, a thoughtful white wine program, and a local Wisconsin producer on the list. Send a friend here for dinner and they won't be stuck drinking swill.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· La Crosse · Coffee House & Wine Bar
JavaVino is La Crosse's most charming low-stakes wine stop — not because the list is ambitious, but because the pricing is honest and the whole thing feels genuinely unpretentious. Send a friend here for an afternoon glass and a coffee chaser, not a serious bottle-list deep dive.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Cass Street Historic District · La Crosse · French and European Fine Dining
Le Chateau is a genuinely lovely place to eat, and the wine list has flashes of good instinct — the Ott Rosé, the Vouvray, the Loire focus. But unnamed producers, punishing markups on the house selections, and a static list hold it back from being a real wine destination. Order the Domaines Ott, skip the Malbec, and let the room do most of the heavy lifting.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · La Crosse · Cocktail & Wine Lounge
Come for the live music, come for the cocktails — but don't come for the wine list. The pricing is fair enough that ordering a glass won't sting, but the selection gives you almost nothing to get excited about.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown/Riverside · La Crosse · Steakhouse and Seafood, American Fine Dining
The Freighthouse won't blow any wine geeks away, but it's a fair, unpretentious list that does its job well in the context of a classic American steakhouse — and that port selection is a genuine reason to linger. If you're in La Crosse and want something reliable with your prime rib, you could do a lot worse.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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