250 Bottles Deep in a Pub Body
Thames Street · Newport · American pub fare and seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 23, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Brick Alley Pub & Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You walk into a lively Newport pub expecting a dozen wines and a bucket of Bud Light, and instead get handed a list north of 250 labels. It's genuinely surprising — the kind of list that makes you do a double-take in the best way. The vibe is loud and casual, but the wine program is quietly trying to be something more.
The list leans hard on California and France with a solid Italian thread running through it — think Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino 2018 sitting next to Caymus and Whispering Angel like they all belong at the same beach house party. There's real range here: Sager & Verdier Sancerre, Frog's Leap Rutherford Cab, Shafer One Point Five — these aren't filler picks, someone curated this with intention. That said, the depth skews toward crowd-pleasing heavyweights rather than anything adventurous or off the beaten path. If you want a Grüner or a Jura Chardonnay, you're at the wrong pub.
The by-the-glass program includes approachable options like Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay and J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet, both at $38 — serviceable but not exciting. Splits (187ml) start at $9, which is a smart move for a casual lunch crowd who just wants a taste without committing to a bottle. Don't expect weekly rotation or a curated pour list; what's on the menu is what's on the menu.
Roederer Estate Brut NV Anderson Valley — $59
Roederer Estate is consistently one of the best non-Champagne bubbles on the market — made by the same house behind Cristal, this Anderson Valley sparkler punches well above its price point. At $59 in a Newport pub, that's as fair as it gets on this list.
Frog's Leap Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 2019
Everyone goes straight for Caymus or Faust, but Frog's Leap is the smarter Rutherford Cab on this list — organically farmed, more restrained and food-friendly, and consistently underordered because it doesn't have the brand recognition. Skip the crowd and grab this one.
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut Champagne NV
At $100, you're paying a significant premium for a label that retails around $55-60 — nearly a 2x markup on a bottle that's already priced for the brand, not the quality. The Roederer Estate is right there at $59 and frankly drinks just as well in this setting.
Sager & Verdier Sancerre 2022 + Seafood pasta
Sancerre's bright acidity and grassy citrus cut right through butter and cream, and its mineral backbone plays off whatever's coming out of the Newport waters. It's a classic Loire-meets-the-coast move that works every time.
The Bottom Line
Brick Alley is a pub that accidentally built a respectable wine program — 250 labels in a nachos-and-seafood-pasta joint is genuinely commendable. Markups keep it from being great, but if you know where to look on this list, you can drink well on Thames Street.
· Newport · Fine Dining / New American
Castle Hill's wine list is a quiet overachiever in a setting that could easily get away with doing far less. The by-the-glass depth is real, the format variety is a genuine bonus, and the Lustau Fino alone justifies scanning the list carefully. Prices trend steep as you'd expect from a waterfront inn, but the curation earns some goodwill — just don't autopilot to the Cabernet.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Newport · Seafood / Clam Shack
Flo's is a genuine New England institution for fried clams and clam cakes, and we'd happily eat there any day of the week. But the wine program is essentially non-existent — two options, one of them a mystery, and one of them a Champagne marked up 100%. Order the ice cold beer instead; it's literally on the menu as the drink of choice, and they're not wrong.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Newport · Wine bar / small plates
Bar 12 is a well-priced, no-drama wine stop in a city where wine lists can get away with being lazy and expensive. The selection is commercial and safe, but the Grüner and the Willamette Pinot Noir show someone made at least a couple of interesting calls. If you want a solid glass without a markup headache, it delivers — just don't come looking for discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Newport · Winery Tasting Room
Greenvale Vineyards is a legitimate reason to detour off Bellevue Avenue. The estate list is small but not lazy — the Ramato alone earns the visit — and at $25 to $40 a bottle, you're paying tasting room prices, not restaurant markups. If you're spending a day in Newport, this is where you buy a bottle for the waterfront, not where you linger over a three-course dinner.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Outskirts / North End · Newport · Farm-to-Table / Winery Restaurant
Brix isn't trying to be a destination wine list — it's trying to be a great ambassador for one vineyard's work, and it mostly succeeds. Send your curious friends here; send your Burgundy obsessives somewhere else.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Lower Thames · Newport · Farm-to-Table / New American
TSK is quietly one of the better wine lists in Newport, which is a town that doesn't exactly set a high bar — but this one would hold its own in most cities. If you're eating farm-to-table food and want a bottle that actually matches the kitchen's ethos, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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