Burgundy on the Bay, Worth the Drive
Deer Isle · Deer Isle · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Aragosta’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
You're on a remote island off the coast of Maine, and the wine list reads like someone raided a great Parisian cave and a Piedmontese cellar on the same trip. It's a quiet gut-punch in the best way — you didn't come all the way to Deer Isle expecting Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Jacques Selosse, and yet here we are. This list earns its Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence immediately.
The French backbone is serious: Burgundy anchors the list with heavy hitters like Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet and Comte Lafon Meursault sitting alongside Loire stalwarts Henri Bourgeois Sancerre and Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé. Champagne gets proper representation with Krug and Jacques Selosse — no filler Prosecco nonsense here. Italy holds its own in the back half with Giacomo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa, and Gaja all showing up for Piedmont, which signals that sommelier Chloe Dickinson has range and isn't just France-obsessed. The list runs 150-250 bottles, which is punchy enough to stay focused but deep enough that you'll want to sit with it over oysters before you order.
Ten to sixteen pours by the glass is a respectable program for a restaurant this intimate and remote — it's clear they're not just dumping whatever's open into the BTG lineup. We'd expect the Loire and entry-level Burgundy producers to rotate through here, which suits the seafood-forward menu well. Ask Chloe what's pouring that night; she'll steer you right.
Henri Bourgeois Sancerre — $45-$65
Henri Bourgeois is one of the Loire's most consistent names, and Sancerre with fresh Maine lobster or local oysters is as close to a lock as wine pairing gets. At the entry end of this list's price range, it drinks well above its station against the competition here.
Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé
Most tables at a coastal restaurant will reach for the familiar Sancerre and never look left. Dagueneau's Pouilly-Fumé is one of the Loire's most singular white wines — mineral, tense, and electric — and it's exactly what a plate of Penobscot Bay scallops deserves. Most people skip it because the name is unfamiliar. Don't be most people.
Gaja Barbaresco
Gaja is a world-class producer and nobody's disputing that, but the markup on Gaja at a restaurant is almost always punishing relative to what you'd pay retail. If you want Piedmont at this table, Giacomo Conterno or Bruno Giacosa will give you more soul for less money.
Comte Lafon Meursault + Seared Scallops
Comte Lafon Meursault is one of Burgundy's great white wines — rich but precise, with a nutty depth that mirrors the caramelized crust on a properly seared scallop without drowning the sweetness of the meat. It's the kind of pairing that makes you set your fork down and just think for a second.
The Bottom Line
Aragosta is the rare restaurant that justifies a destination trip on the wine list alone — Chloe Dickinson has built something genuinely special in a place most wine lists would phone it in. If you're anywhere near Deer Isle, this is not optional.
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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