The Chianti You Actually Want Tonight
Downtown · Lake Geneva · Italian Steakhouse / Tuscan-Inspired · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Tuscan Tavern & Grill’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Tuscan Tavern & Grill makes its intentions clear from the jump: this is an Italian steakhouse that leans hard into the Italian part. Tuscany and Piedmont anchor the list, with California Cabernet riding shotgun for the crowd that can't quit their comfort zone. It's a focused, purposeful list — not adventurous, but not embarrassing either.
Thirty to fifty labels doesn't give you a lot of room to roam, but Tuscan Tavern uses that real estate reasonably well. You get the Italian greatest hits — Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Super Tuscan blends, and Barolo — which is exactly right for a room full of bistecca and pasta. The Piedmont presence is a genuine plus; Barolo on a mid-tier Wisconsin wine list takes some conviction. What's missing is depth within each category: one or two producers per region means no comparison shopping, no discovery, no fun if you already know what you like and want to go deeper.
Ten to sixteen by-the-glass options is a respectable pour program for a restaurant of this size and market. At $12–$18 a glass, you're in standard upscale-casual territory for a resort town, though the ceiling feels a little steep without knowing exactly what's sitting at the top of that range. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority here — this reads like a static list, not one that gets refreshed by season or whim.
Chianti Classico — $12–$15/glass
Chianti Classico is the natural call at a Tuscan concept, and if they've sourced it reasonably, it's the most food-flexible bottle on the table — works with steak, pasta, and anything in between without making a fuss about it.
Barolo
Most people ordering at a Wisconsin steakhouse aren't reaching for Barolo, and that's a shame. If you've got the time to let it open up — or if it's been properly stored and decanted — this is the most serious wine on the list and worth every penny over the crowd-pleaser Cabs.
California Cabernet Sauvignon
You're in a Tuscan tavern. California Cab is fine wine, but it's also what you can get absolutely anywhere. At resort-town markup rates, you're paying a premium for the most generic choice on the menu. Order the Brunello and feel something.
Brunello di Montalcino + Filet Mignon
Brunello's Sangiovese-driven acidity and firm tannins are built for red meat. Against a proper filet, it stops being a wine and starts being an event. This is the pairing the list was designed around, whether they know it or not.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Tuscan Tavern & Grill is a solid wine program for a resort town — Italian-focused, coherent, and priced a bit aggressively but not offensively. If you're in Lake Geneva for a date night and want a Brunello with your filet, this is exactly where you want to be.
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Crafted Americana's wine program is resort-standard in the fullest sense: recognizable, priced for convenience, and unlikely to generate any complaints or any real excitement. If you're at The Ridge for the weekend and want a solid glass of Cab with your prime rib, you'll be fine — just don't come expecting a discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Highway 50 corridor (east of downtown Lake Geneva) · Lake Geneva · Steakhouse / Seafood / Supper Club
Anthony's isn't a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — but for a Wisconsin supper club on a Friday night, the list is honest, the prices are fair, and the Washington State focus gives it just enough personality to keep things interesting. Send your parents here and order the Syrah.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Williams Bay / Highway 67 corridor · Lake Geneva · Fine Dining French
Opus is the rare fine dining wine program in the Midwest that earns the label without hedging — 346 bottles deep, French-focused, and staffed by someone who clearly knows what they're doing. The markups will sting, but for a special occasion in lake country, this is exactly where you want to be drinking.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Delavan (Greater Geneva Area) · Lake Geneva · Fine Dining / New American
1878 on the Lake is a solid resort restaurant doing exactly what resort restaurants do — safe selections, reliable producers, and a markup that subsidizes those lakefront views. We'd send a friend here for a nice night out on the water, but we'd tell them to skip the Reserve and order the Rosé.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Delavan (Greater Geneva Area) · Lake Geneva · American / Resort
If you're here for the lake views and a burger, order a cocktail and don't stress the wine list — it's not why you came. But if wine actually matters to you, the Lookout's list is the kind of set-it-and-forget-it program that makes you wish you'd packed a bottle to leave at the front desk.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lake Como · Lake Geneva · American / Supper Club
Mars Resort is a great place to drink a cold glass of something while live music plays and the lake does all the heavy lifting — but don't come here expecting a wine program that cares as much as you do. Order the Bisol, enjoy the view, and save the serious bottle for somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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