Wisconsin supper club hiding serious wine credentials
Genesee Depot · Genesee Depot · American, Seasonal · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed May 1, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Pull up to this cozy Wisconsin roadhouse on Highway 83 and the last thing you expect is a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. But flip open the list and there it is — a 100-plus bottle program with real producers and real range, not just the token Kendall-Jackson and a house red. For Genesee Depot, this is genuinely surprising.
The list leans hard into California and France, which tracks with the WS credential, and the picks are credible across both. Ridge Monte Bello anchors the prestige end, Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir gives you something worth drinking in the mid-range, and Louis Jadot and Joseph Drouhin Chablis handle the French side without embarrassing anyone. There are no deep-cut grower Champagnes or natural wine detours here — this is an accessible, crowd-pleasing selection that still manages to earn its stripes. The gaps are real: limited Rhône, no Italy to speak of, and the Southern Hemisphere is largely absent.
Ten to sixteen pours by the glass at $10–$18 is a solid program for a restaurant of this size, and the range appears to cover white, red, and likely a sparkling option. Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling showing up on a Wisconsin list is a small but meaningful nod toward something beyond the obvious Chardonnay-Cabernet default. We'd like to see more rotation, but what's here is serviceable.
Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir — $65
Flowers consistently retails around $45-50, so seeing it on a restaurant list without an obscene markup is a win. Sonoma Coast Pinot at a fair price in a cozy Wisconsin dining room — that's the play.
Joseph Drouhin Chablis
Most tables here are going straight to California Cab, which means the Chablis gets overlooked. Drouhin's Chablis is clean, mineral, and exactly what you want cutting through a rich onion soup or anything butter-forward on a seasonal American menu. Underordered and worth grabbing.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is everywhere, and restaurant markup on it is almost always painful. You're paying for the label recognition more than anything in the glass at this point. Ridge Monte Bello exists on this same list — spend your money there instead.
Joseph Drouhin Chablis + French Onion Soup
The briny, high-acid backbone of Chablis cuts right through the rich broth and melted Gruyère without fighting the dish. It's the kind of pairing that makes both the wine and the soup taste better, and it's the move most people at this restaurant aren't making.
🎲 The Bottom Line
The Union House has no business having this good a wine list for a Highway 83 supper club in Waukesha County, and that's exactly the point. If you're anywhere near Genesee Depot and care about what's in your glass, this place earns a detour.
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