Portland's French corner with real regional soul
Hawthorne · Portland · French · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 23, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Chez Machin’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
Walking into Chez Machin, the wine list feels like it was curated by someone who actually spent time in France — not someone who Googled 'French wines.' It's compact, it's focused, and it doesn't try to be everything to everyone. On a Hawthorne block full of gastropubs and cocktail bars, this little list punches above its weight class.
The list runs 40-70 bottles deep, which is right-sized for a room this intimate, and the regional focus is tight and intentional: Burgundy, Loire, Beaujolais, Rhône, and a nod to Alsace. This isn't a list padding itself out with New World crowd-pleasers — it's almost entirely French, and it's the better for it. Beaujolais and Côtes du Rhône anchor the everyday drinking section with approachable, food-friendly bottles, while Burgundy and Loire provide the ceiling for guests who want to spend up. Gaps exist — no real breadth outside France, and the Alsace section could use more love — but that kind of editorial discipline is rare and worth respecting.
With 8-14 options by the glass, you're not stuck choosing between Chardonnay and Cabernet. The pour program leans on the same regional pillars as the bottle list — expect Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc and Beaujolais to anchor the lineup. The $5 off bottles during happy hour (3-6pm) is the real move here: grab a seat early and work through the Rhône side of the list at a discount.
Côtes du Rhône — $X off during happy hour
Côtes du Rhône at a French bistro is almost always the smart play — it's the house wine of the Rhône, built for food, and when it's $5 cheaper during the 3-6pm window, it becomes a genuine steal. Show up early, order escargots, drink Rhône.
French Crémant
Crémant gets overlooked every single time because Champagne has better PR. That's a mistake. A well-chosen French Crémant — whether it's from Alsace, Bourgogne, or Loire — delivers the same celebration-grade bubbles at a fraction of the price, and Chez Machin's French kitchen is the exact context where it shines.
Burgundy (entry-level bottles)
Burgundy on a bistro list is a risky order unless you know exactly what you're getting. Entry-level Bourgogne at restaurant markup rarely lives up to the expectation the word 'Burgundy' sets — and at Chez Machin, the Beaujolais and Rhône options will almost certainly deliver more pleasure per dollar. Save the Burgundy for a list with more depth and context.
Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc + Escargots
Herb-forward Loire Sauvignon Blanc — think the grassy, mineral end of the spectrum — cuts right through the garlic butter in the escargots and keeps things lively. It's not a complicated pairing, it's just correct. The French have been doing this forever for a reason.
The Bottom Line
Chez Machin isn't trying to be a wine bar, but it's doing wine better than most places that are. If you want a focused, honest French list in a room that actually feels French, Hawthorne delivers — especially if you time the happy hour right.
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