Bavarian Town Hiding a Serious Wine Cellar
Downtown Frankenmuth · Detroit · Steakhouse, Seafood, European · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed March 22, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You're in Frankenmuth — famous for chicken dinners and Christmas ornaments — and then this list lands in front of you: 505 selections, 5,100 bottles in inventory, a sommelier on staff. It's the last thing you expect and exactly what you needed. The European fine-dining room matches the ambition.
The list leans hard into Bordeaux and Italy with France anchoring the old-world side, but California heavyweights like Opus One, Caymus Special Selection, Silver Oak, and Jordan make sure the crowd stays happy too. At 505 selections, there's genuine depth here — this isn't a curated boutique list, it's a serious cellar that took years to build. Duckhorn Merlot shows up as a nod to more approachable American options, though the real weight is in the upper-tier Cabs and Bordeaux. The gaps are on the adventurous side — don't come looking for natural wine or esoteric skin-contact bottles.
By-the-glass specifics weren't available at time of review, which is a minor frustration given the depth of the bottle program. With a sommelier on staff and a list this size, we'd expect a rotating glass selection worth talking about — we just can't confirm it. Ask your server what's open; a cellar like this usually has something worth pouring.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — null
Jordan consistently punches above its price in the Alexander Valley tier — it's the most food-friendly Cab on a list heavy with muscle-bound options, and it won't require a second mortgage. Ask about current pricing; it's the move if you want California Cab without going full Opus.
Duckhorn Merlot
Everyone skips Merlot in 2024 and that's exactly why you shouldn't. Duckhorn's is one of the benchmark Napa Merlots — rich, structured, and genuinely delicious — and in a room full of Cab-heads it flies under the radar every time.
Opus One
Opus One is a trophy wine, full stop. At a restaurant with a $$$$ price tag, the markup on an already-expensive bottle is going to be painful. It's a flex purchase, not a value play — and at this price tier, Jordan or Silver Oak will leave you just as satisfied with money left over.
Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon + Wiener Schnitzel
Silver Oak's Alexander Valley Cab has enough bright fruit and vanilla-forward oak to stand up to the richness of a properly fried schnitzel without trampling the delicate veal. It's an unconventional pairing by the book, but that's exactly the kind of move a wine list like this invites you to try.
🎲 The Bottom Line
A 505-bottle cellar with a sommelier in a Bavarian tourist town is genuinely wild, and The Station 100 earns its Wild Card badge by being exactly that — unexpected, ambitious, and worth the detour if you care about wine. Pricing is steep, but the depth and seriousness of the program give it real credibility.
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Highlands is a reliable special-occasion wine stop backed by a knowledgeable sommelier in Kevin Williams and a Wine Spectator Award it's held since 2022. The list won't surprise you, but at 71 floors up with a bone-in ribeye in front of you, you probably weren't asking it to.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Corktown · Detroit · Italian, Swiss
Alpino is doing something genuinely unusual for Detroit — an alpine-themed kitchen with a wine list that actually matches the room's ambition, not just its vibe. Send your friends here, tell them to order Austrian, and sit near the fireplace.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Southfield · Detroit · Northern Italian
Bacco is the kind of wine program that makes you feel like Detroit's been holding out on you — 11,000 bottles, a sommelier who actually knows the cellar, and a room serious enough to let a 2000 Gaja breathe properly. The prices will make your eyes water, but this is a destination list worth the trip.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Rochester Hills · Detroit · Italian
La Collina is a perfectly decent neighborhood Italian spot that treats its wine list like an afterthought — familiar names, steep markups, no real sense of curation or care. Drink the Brunello or order a Negroni and don't look back.
Crowd Pleasers
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Detroit · Detroit · Contemporary American
The Apparatus Room is the wine list Detroit didn't know it needed — thoughtful, fairly priced, and backed by a sommelier who actually shows up. If you're eating downtown and you care about what's in your glass, this is your spot.
Solid Range
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Unknown · Detroit · Steakhouse
Shanahan's is playing a different game than most Detroit restaurants — the wine list is destination-worthy on its own merits, even if the markups reflect the ambition. If you're serious about wine with your steak, this is where you go.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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