Great Whiskey, Wine List Phoning It In
Downtown · Baton Rouge · Cocktail Bar & Whiskey Lounge with Small Plates · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 27, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The River Room is a genuinely cool spot — low lights, vinyl spinning, historic downtown bones — and then you see the wine list. It reads like a grocery store endcap that someone formatted into a menu. This place is built for whiskey, and the wine program knows it.
The list leans hard on familiar California labels: Meiomi, Josh Cellars, Kendall-Jackson, Apothic. There's a token nod to New Zealand with Kim Crawford and a La Marca Prosecco for bubbles fans, but that's basically where the adventure ends. No old-world depth, no regional Louisiana character, no small producers — just the brands you'd recognize from a chain restaurant or your uncle's fridge. The Masi Modello bottlings (Pinot Grigio and Merlot) at least hint at something slightly more considered, but it's still squarely in the 'safe and recognizable' lane.
You're looking at roughly 8–12 pours in the $9–$15 range, which covers the usual suspects without much rotation or inspiration. The Wednesday Wine Down drops glass prices to $8 and halves bottle prices from 4–7 PM, which is genuinely the most interesting thing happening on this wine list. Outside of that window, there's little reason to be here for the wine specifically.
Masi Modello Pinot Grigio Trevenezie IGT — $35 (half-price Wednesday)
At half-price on Wine Down Wednesday, this is a clean, honest Northern Italian pour at a price that's actually fair. It's the one bottle on the list where the markup stops feeling like a penalty.
La Marca Prosecco
Everyone sleeps on bubbles at a whiskey bar, which means you'll rarely fight anyone for the last pour. La Marca is approachable and sessionable, and it plays surprisingly well against the savory small plates. Not a revelation, but smarter than ordering the Apothic.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
At $40 a bottle for something that retails around $14, you're paying nearly three times what this wine is worth. Josh Cellars is a perfectly fine grocery store cab — emphasis on grocery store. That markup is hard to swallow.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc + Charcuterie or small plates
The bright acidity and citrus snap of Kim Crawford cuts through cured meats and soft cheeses without asking too much of either you or your wallet — at least relative to the rest of this list.
Wednesday — $8 wine by the glass and half-price bottles dine-in only, 4–7 PM. Masi Modello Pinot Grigio and Masi Modello Merlot Trevenezie IGT specifically listed. No stacking with other discounts or coupons.
❌ The Bottom Line
The River Room is a legitimately great whiskey lounge that treats its wine list as an afterthought, and the steep markups on mass-market bottles make that neglect sting a little. Come for the bourbon, come for the vibe, come on a Wednesday if you insist on wine.
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
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Seasonal Rotation
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Crowd Pleasers
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Crowd Pleasers
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Basic Stemmed
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Seasonal Rotation
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Crowd Pleasers
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Set & Forget
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Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
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Acceptable
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Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
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