Solid Coastal Pours in the Smoky Mountains
· Gatlinburg · Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 27, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Chesapeake's Seafood House’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Chesapeake's Gatlinburg reads like a greatest hits of American supermarket shelves — familiar names, safe choices, nothing that will make your jaw drop. But for a seafood house in the Smokies, it's more functional than embarrassing, and the pricing is surprisingly reasonable across the board.
Sixty labels is a respectable number for a tourist-area seafood spot, and the list leans heavily into whites, which is the right call given the menu. You'll find Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand, California, and France-adjacent producers (Emmolo, Cakebread, Ferrari Carano Fumé Blanc), a solid bench of Chardonnays from Bogle up through Mer Soleil and Frank Family, and a Dry Creek Chenin Blanc that actually has no business being this interesting on a list like this. The red and sparkling sections exist, but the real action — and the real thought — went into the whites. Don't come expecting any Old World depth or natural wine exploration; this list was built to move volume, not provoke curiosity.
Sixteen by-the-glass options is a generous pour program for a restaurant of this type, covering $6.50 entry-level pours (Beringer White Zin, Stone Cellars Pinot Grigio) up to $16 for the Frank Family Chardonnay. The lower end skews sugary and crowd-friendly, but Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc at $10 a glass is a reliable middle-ground that won't offend anyone at the table.
The Bottom Line
Chesapeake's Gatlinburg isn't trying to win a wine award, and it doesn't need to — the list is honest, the pricing is fair for what it is, and the white wine depth is genuinely appropriate for a seafood restaurant. If you're in Gatlinburg and want a bottle that won't break the bank or embarrass you, you can do a lot worse than landing on that Dry Creek Chenin Blanc.
· Gatlinburg · Southern American
Ole Red is a concert venue and bar that happens to have wine on the menu — and it shows. If you're in Gatlinburg for live music and cold beer, this place probably delivers. If you're looking to drink well, skip the wine entirely and order a cocktail or a local beer. There are better uses for your $10.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Gatlinburg · Italian
A five-bottle wine list at an Italian restaurant with zero Italian wines on it is not a wine program — it's a placeholder. If you're in Gatlinburg and wine matters to you tonight, this isn't your stop. The October wine dinner series is genuinely interesting and worth watching, but the everyday list doesn't give us enough to recommend making wine a priority here.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
· Gatlinburg · American bar and grill
Dick's Last Resort is a novelty dining experience built around rude service and tourist energy — and the wine list is consistent with that brand in the worst possible way. Skip the wine entirely, order a beer or a bucket cocktail, and save your wine curiosity for literally anywhere else in the Smokies.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Gatlinburg · Winery and Tasting Room
Bootleggers is a Gatlinburg curiosity worth a stop if you're already in town and in the right headspace — which is to say, relaxed, not taking yourself too seriously, and maybe still a little sunburned from the afternoon. Don't come looking for a serious wine program; do come if you want to try something local, weird, and made with actual intent.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Parkway · Gatlinburg · Cajun, Seafood, American
Come for the crawfish and the balcony view, skip the wine list entirely — or grab a $6 Pinot Grigio and make peace with it. This is a cocktail-and-beer spot that happens to have a few bottles of grocery store wine on the menu.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Parkway Rooftop · Gatlinburg · Mexican, Tex-Mex
Loco Burro is a great spot for a frozen margarita on a Smoky Mountain rooftop — the wine list is just not the reason you're here, and no one pretends otherwise. Order a cocktail, enjoy the view, and save your serious wine curiosity for a different night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Sonoma · Seafood
Willi's is a wild card in the best sense — a casual Sonoma seafood bar running a wine list that belongs in a much more serious room. The by-the-glass depth alone is worth showing up for, and the pricing is honest by the region's standards. If you're anywhere near Healdsburg, order the Assyrtiko and thank us later.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Seafood
The Marshall Store earns its reputation as a low-key, scenic spot for fresh West Coast oysters and smoked salmon — and if that's your mission, it delivers. But the wine program is effectively an afterthought: undocumented, uncurated, and not a reason to visit. Bring a bottle from one of the Healdsburg producers down the road, check the corkage policy at the door, and spend your energy on the food.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Seafood
Nick's Cove earns a Wild Card badge because it's doing something specific and doing it with conviction: a seafood restaurant on the Sonoma Coast that built its list around sparkling wine and Chardonnay is a confident, logical bet. The markups get steep as you climb the ladder — Cristal at $750 and Dom Pérignon at $650 are priced for occasion, not for value — but there are real finds at the $80-$155 range if you know where to look. Come for the Failla, stay for the Radio-Coteau.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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