Wine Country Comfort With Northwest Credentials
Woodinville Wine Country / Willows Lodge · Redmond · Pacific Northwest / Modern American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 15, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Barking Frog’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Opening the wine list at Barking Frog feels exactly right for a restaurant sitting inside Willows Lodge in the middle of Woodinville wine country — there's a clear sense of place here, with Washington state wines anchoring the list and a sommelier who actually knows them. It's upscale without being stiff, and the list signals that someone is paying attention. That said, the prices lean lodge-level, so come ready for that.
The list runs 100 to 150 bottles and leans hard into Washington and the broader Northwest, which makes sense given you're essentially surrounded by wineries. Côte Bonneville shows up as a featured producer in their Secret Supper Series events, a strong signal the program has genuine regional roots rather than just slapping Columbia Valley labels on a generic list. Global wines fill in the gaps — expect French and Italian representation for guests who aren't on the Washington train yet. The depth is real but not encyclopedic; this is a list built to complement a meal, not to impress a collector.
With 15 to 25 options by the glass, there's enough to explore across a full dinner without committing to a bottle — and in wine country, that's actually a useful feature when your table wants to roam. The glass program appears to rotate seasonally, which tracks with the kitchen's local-sourcing ethos. We'd expect Northwest whites and reds to dominate the pour list, with a few wildcard selections keeping things interesting.
Côte Bonneville (featured selection) — null
Côte Bonneville is one of Washington's serious small producers — estate-focused, minimal intervention, genuinely site-expressive wine. When a restaurant is featuring them in a curated dinner series, you can bet they're pouring something worth ordering. Seek out whatever Côte Bonneville is on the current list and you're getting real Washington wine, not filler.
Canoe Ridge Estate Merlot 2007
Washington Merlot still gets dismissed by people who haven't paid attention since the early 2000s, but Canoe Ridge is the kind of producer that makes a strong counter-argument. A vintage Merlot at a wine country restaurant is easy to overlook when Cabernet is calling — don't make that mistake.
Generic by-the-glass Chardonnay
At a restaurant with this kind of regional focus and a sommelier on staff, ordering the default Chardonnay by the glass is a missed opportunity and likely where the margin is fattest. Push past it and ask what's interesting in the pour list — you're in Woodinville, act like it.
Côte Bonneville (red selection) + Duck Confit
Duck confit wants something with structure and a little earthiness to cut through the richness — Côte Bonneville's reds, sourced from DuBrul Vineyard in the Yakima Valley, bring exactly that. It's a Pacific Northwest pairing that makes the case for drinking local without having to think too hard about it.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Barking Frog is the kind of wine program you want to find at a wine country lodge — regionally committed, staffed by someone who gives a damn, and built around the same local ethos as the kitchen. Markup is the only real friction; everything else earns its reputation.
Overlake / SE Redmond · Redmond · Italian
Tropea is the kind of neighborhood Italian spot where the wine list does its job without breaking any new ground — reliable, Italian-focused, and slightly overpriced in spots. Send a friend here who wants a solid Brunello with their pasta, not a friend who wants to be surprised.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown Redmond · Redmond · Burger
Red Robin's wine program is an afterthought dressed as a bar menu — order a craft beer or a cocktail and don't look back. If someone at the table insists on wine, point them toward the rosé and change the subject.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Redmond · Redmond · British pub, sports bar
Three Lions is a genuinely fun pub for watching a match over a cold pint — but the wine list is purely incidental, maintained with minimal effort and zero ambition. Come for the football, the beers, and the bangers and mash; if wine is your thing, drink something else tonight.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Redmond · Redmond · Irish Pub
JJ Mahoney's is a good pub for a pint and some fish and chips — but the wine list is purely functional, not worth seeking out. If wine is your priority tonight, eat here and drink somewhere else after.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Redmond · Redmond · American Steakhouse and Bar
Brown's Stockyard Exchange is the wine equivalent of a reliable truck: won't break down, won't blow your mind. If you're eating here for the steaks — and you probably should be — order the Columbia Crest, get out of the way, and let the food do the work.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Redmond · Redmond · Pizza / Italian
Vicino is a genuinely surprising wine program hiding inside a casual pizza concept — the Italian-focused list has real depth and some prestige bottles that belong in a much fancier room. Markups on the top shelf are aggressive, but if you stick to the mid-tier and the glass pours, you're eating well and drinking better than you had any right to expect.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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