The Library
Cozy reads, familiar pours, decent night out
Downtown Fargo · Fargo · Bar
Reviewed April 19, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The Library leans hard into its theme — leather chairs, warm lighting, shelves of books — and the wine list matches that energy: comfortable, familiar, and not trying to challenge you. You're not going to find anything weird or wonderful here, but for a downtown Fargo bar, the setup is genuinely inviting. It's the kind of place where you grab a bottle and settle in, not sweat the selection.
Selection Deep Dive
The list is a greatest-hits compilation of grocery-store darlings: Duckhorn, Meiomi, Kim Crawford. California and New Zealand dominate, with no real gesture toward Europe, South America, or anything off the beaten path. It does the job for a casual crowd that wants recognizable names, but anyone looking for a producer they haven't already seen at Total Wine is going to be underwhelmed. The $32–$120 bottle range suggests some ambition on the high end, but without knowing what's anchoring that ceiling, it's hard to get excited.
By the Glass
Eight by-the-glass options at $9–$14 is a reasonable spread for a bar program in this market — nothing revelatory, but enough to cover the basics. Expect the usual suspects: a Cab, a Pinot, a Sauv Blanc, probably a bubbly or rosé. There's no visible rotation or curated program here; what's on the list is what you're getting, week after week.
Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 — $65
A 44% markup is about as fair as it gets on a recognizable Napa Cab in a bar setting. Duckhorn is reliable, well-made, and hits the right notes without requiring any explanation to your tablemates. It's the best deal on this list by a clear margin.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
Look, it's not a hidden gem in any traditional sense — Meiomi is everywhere. But in a bar environment where the alternative is something worse, ordering a glass of this fruit-forward California Pinot while you eat walleye tacos is actually a decent move that most people at a bar wouldn't think to try.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 2022
A 111% markup on a $18 retail bottle is hard to justify. Kim Crawford is fine — it's perfectly drinkable Marlborough Sauv Blanc — but at $38 a bottle, you're paying bar-tax on something you could grab at the gas station on the way home. Pass.
Meiomi Pinot Noir + Walleye tacos
Meiomi's juicy strawberry-and-mocha profile is soft enough not to bulldoze the delicate walleye, and the slight sweetness plays well against whatever heat or acid the taco brings. It's not a sommelier-calibrated match, but it works better than you'd expect from a bar list.
✔️ The Bottom Line
The Library is a solid neighborhood bar that happens to serve wine — nothing more, nothing less. If you're in Downtown Fargo and want a glass of something recognizable in a comfortable room, you'll leave fine; just stick to the Duckhorn and skip the Kim Crawford at that markup.
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