Portsmouth's cozy cellar punches way above weight
Downtown · Portsmouth · Spanish-inspired tapas and wine bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Cava Tapas & Wine Bar’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
A wine bar tucked into a commercial alley in Portsmouth, New Hampshire is not where you'd expect to find Produttori del Barbaresco and Château Musar on the same list — but here we are. The cellar-like vibe sets the tone immediately: this place takes wine seriously, even if the pricing occasionally forgets that you do too. It's intimate enough that you'd better like the people you're with.
Fifty-five labels with genuine range across Spain, Italy, France, Oregon, and California is legitimately impressive for a small-market tapas spot. The Spanish spine is strong — Aalto from Ribera del Duero, Alto Moncayo's 'Veraton' Grenache, Muga's 'El Andén', and a Bordon Gran Reserva from 2011 that has no business being on a list this size. Italy gets a nod via Produttori del Barbaresco's entry-level Nebbiolo, and the New World slots (Au Bon Climat, Les Brebis Willamette Pinot) are chosen with actual taste rather than just brand recognition. The gaps are minor — more Portuguese depth and a natural wine or two would round this out nicely.
The by-the-glass program is the real flex here: all 55 bottles are available by the glass, which is either a brilliant commitment or a logistical nightmare depending on nightly volume and how carefully they're managing open bottles. The glass price range of $11–$25 means you can explore without committing, and with producers like Gramona 'Imperial' Cava and Musar 'Levantine' available by the pour, the upside is real. Just ask when a bottle was opened.
Bordon Gran Reserva Tempranillo Rioja 2011 — $36–$46 (bottle estimate based on range)
A Gran Reserva with over a decade of age on it, from a reliable Rioja house — if this is sitting at the lower end of their bottle range, it's the best deal on the list. Traditional, earthy, and ready to drink right now with minimal markup for what's in the glass.
Musar 'Levantine' Tempranillo/Cinsault/Cabernet 2021
Most people walk past anything labeled 'Levantine' without a second look, which is their loss. This is Château Musar's approachable tier — Lebanese wine from one of the most historically interesting producers on earth, with a grape blend that makes zero geographic sense and tastes completely right. Order it and watch your table conversation shift.
Scattered Peaks Cabernet Napa Valley 2021
At the top of their price range, a Napa Cab in a Spanish tapas bar is a square peg in a round hole — and Napa Cab markups are notoriously brutal. With Aalto Tempranillo and Alto Moncayo Grenache on the same list, there's no reason to go this direction.
Alto Moncayo 'Veraton' Grenache 2020 + Patatas Bravas
Alto Moncayo's Grenache from Aragón is big, dark-fruited, and has enough warmth to meet the smoky paprika heat in patatas bravas head-on. It's also a conversation starter — Campo de Borja is not a region most people have on their radar, and this bottle will change that.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Cava is a genuine find in a market where most wine lists top out at Meiomi and Malbec. The markup stings a bit, but the list has real ambition and the setting earns it — send your wine-curious friends here and tell them to work the Spanish section.
Market Street · Portsmouth · Italian
Dolce Vita is a reliable neighborhood wine bar with enough Italian depth to satisfy anyone who came to drink well with their dinner. The markups on the California heavy-hitters are a soft deterrent, but lean Italian and you'll leave happy.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Portsmouth · French patisserie, crêperie, and wine bar
La Maison Navarre is a genuine Wild Card — a French patisserie and crêperie in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, that actually bothered to build a coherent, France-only wine list to match. It's not deep, it's not adventurous, but it's honest and well-matched to what's on the plate, and that's more than most places manage.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West End · Portsmouth · Global Street Food / Eclectic American
STREET is a genuinely fun, globe-trotting neighborhood spot that deserves a wine list as curious as its food — instead it has six grocery-store staples marked up steep and left on autopilot. Order a cocktail, enjoy the Bibimbap, and don't overthink the wine.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Portsmouth · Modern Mexican
Vida Cantina is a genuinely fun spot for food and cocktails, but the wine list is on autopilot — overpriced California standards with no imagination and no connection to the kitchen. Order a mezcal cocktail, grab the Vinho Verde if you insist on wine, and don't come here expecting anything more.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Portsmouth · Bar / Rooftop
Come for the rooftop, stay for the vibe — but don't come for the wine. The Wednesday half-price bottle deal is the one reason to order a bottle, and even then, temper your expectations accordingly.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Downtown · Portsmouth · American Grill
Skip the Gas Light on any night but Wednesday — half off all bottles turns a steep list into a genuinely solid deal and makes this a legitimate downtown Portsmouth option. The rest of the week, order a beer.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
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