Azumi
Harbor Views, Surprisingly Sharp Wine Choices
Inner Harbor · Baltimore · Japanese · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 25, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You walk into Azumi expecting the wine list to be an afterthought — a waterfront Japanese restaurant in a hotel adjacent to Baltimore's Inner Harbor doesn't exactly scream serious wine program. Then you flip open the list and find Von Winning Riesling and Carl Ehrhard Pinot Noir from the Rheingau sitting alongside Argentine Malbec and Willamette sparkling rosé, and suddenly you're paying attention. This isn't a lazy hotel list — someone made actual decisions here.
Selection Deep Dive
The list runs 80-120 bottles with genuine geographic range: Italy, France, Germany, Argentina, California, New Zealand, Spain, and Austria all get representation. The German selections are the sleeper story — Von Winning and Carl Ehrhard are real producers making real wine, not filler bottles with German-sounding names. France gets its obligatory Champagne bench with Veuve Clicquot and Taittinger Cuvée Prestige, which are crowd-pleasing picks if not groundbreaking. The list does lean safe in spots — Miraval Rosé is essentially a celebrity wine at this point — but the overall curation shows more thought than the waterfront hotel setting would suggest.
By the Glass
Eighteen-plus by-the-glass options is a genuinely strong number, and the glass pour pricing runs $11–$28, which is reasonable for an upmarket restaurant in this bracket. The glass list pulls from the same thoughtful producers on the bottle list, so you're not stuck drinking reject juice while the good stuff sits untouched in the cellar.
Mauricio Lorca 'Angels Selection' Malbec — $12/glass
At $12 a glass with a retail bottle price around $15, Azumi is barely marking this up. Lorca's Uco Valley Malbec is a step above supermarket Malbec — it's got actual structure — and $12 for it at a sit-down restaurant with harbor views is genuinely hard to argue with.
Carl Ehrhard Pinot Noir (Rheingau, Germany)
Most people see 'German Pinot Noir' on a menu at a Japanese restaurant and immediately skip to the Malbec. That's a mistake. Rheingau Pinot Noir — Spätburgunder — is a legitimately exciting style: lighter body, higher acid, earthy and precise. Carl Ehrhard is a respected name in the region and this bottle deserves more attention than it's going to get.
Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label
Nothing wrong with Veuve Clicquot — it's a solid Champagne. But it's also the most recognizable label in the room, which means you're paying a premium for familiarity. With Taittinger Cuvée Prestige on the same list at likely comparable pricing, the Taittinger is the smarter buy for the same occasion.
Von Winning Riesling + Miso Cod
Von Winning's Riesling brings bright acidity and a touch of stony minerality that cuts right through the richness of miso-glazed cod without trampling the delicate sweetness of the fish. This is a pairing that works on paper and actually delivers at the table.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Azumi is a Wild Card in the best sense — it looks like a place where you'd order sake and ignore the wine list, but the list rewards the curious drinker with fair prices, genuine producers, and a sommelier on staff who can actually help you navigate it. Come for the miso cod, stay for the Riesling.
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