Neighborhood Fine Dining That Knows Its Wine
Historic Hilton Village · Newport News · New American / Fine Dining · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 30, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Circa 1918 Kitchen & Bar’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walking into Circa 1918, the wine list feels like it was curated by someone who actually drinks wine rather than someone who just needed a list. It's not massive, but there's clear intention here — a few European bottles that don't show up on every restaurant list in the 757. The $6–$7 glass pours are practically a rounding error in today's market, which earns immediate goodwill.
The list leans Old World with a quiet confidence — Loire and Languedoc on the French side, a Spanish sparkling from Penedès tucking in alongside. The Simonet Brut Blanc from Loire is the kind of bottle that signals someone upstream made a thoughtful call; that's not a default Champagne-substitute pick, that's a deliberate choice. The Prochaine Chardonnay from Languedoc is similarly under-the-radar, steering clear of the tired California Chard reflex. Gaps exist — the list is lean enough that variety-seekers may feel constrained — but what's here is chosen, not just populated.
Glass pour pricing at $6–$7 is genuinely rare for a fine dining room in 2024, and if that reflects the full BTG program, it's one of the stronger value propositions in Newport News. We don't have a full by-the-glass count, but the sparkling presence of the Castillo Perelada Brut Cave as a pourable option suggests the program extends beyond token reds and whites. Rotation data is thin, so don't count on much seasonal movement.
Pedroncelli 'Four Grapes' Port NV — $11
Retails around $17, so the markup is modest — a rare thing for a dessert pour. It's an honest, food-friendly fortified wine at a price that makes saying yes easy.
Simonet Brut Blanc
A Loire sparkling that most diners will walk right past in favor of something they recognize. Don't. This is the kind of bottle that makes you feel like you found something, because you did.
Justin 'Obtuse' Cabernet Sauvignon Dessert Wine NV
Retails around $25 and pours for $10 — that's a 150% markup on a dessert wine that isn't even particularly hard to find. The Pedroncelli or the Standing Stone are better plays for your after-dinner dollar.
Prochaine Chardonnay + Chef's featured fish or seafood entrée
A Languedoc Chardonnay brings enough structure and restraint to lift a white fish or shellfish dish without steamrolling it — and at this price point, you're not overthinking the order.
The Bottom Line
Circa 1918 isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's doing more than most neighborhood fine-dining spots bother to do. Fair prices, a few genuinely interesting European picks, and a room that takes hospitality seriously — send a friend here without hesitation.
Oyster Point / Jefferson Avenue · Newport News · Asian-American, Chinese
P.F. Chang's Newport News is not a wine destination — it's a chain restaurant with a corporate wine list designed to sell recognizable labels at comfortable margins. Come for the Lettuce Wraps and the Wednesday half-price bottles if you must, but don't come expecting anything interesting in the glass.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Oyster Point / Jefferson Avenue · Newport News · Steakhouse / Roadhouse
Logan's Roadhouse is a beer-and-bourbon operation that happens to list six wines as an afterthought — and it shows. Order the steak, order the ribs, order a cold draft; just don't come here expecting the wine list to do any heavy lifting.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Oyster Point / Jefferson Avenue · Newport News · American Steakhouse
LongHorn Newport News isn't a wine destination — it's a steakhouse where wine is an afterthought, priced to extract margin rather than reward curiosity. Order the ribeye, pick the least-bad bottle, and don't expect anyone at the table to talk about what's in the glass.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Oyster Point / Jefferson Avenue · Newport News · American, gourmet burgers
Red Robin is here to sell you bottomless fries and a good time, not wine — and the list reflects exactly that level of effort. Grab a craft beer or a soda, save your wine spend for literally anywhere else.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Oyster Point / Jefferson Avenue · Newport News · Tex-Mex and American Casual Dining
There is no wine program here, just wine-shaped options on a chain restaurant menu with markups that would make your eyes water if you checked the retail shelf. Order the margarita — it's what Chili's actually does well.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Oyster Point / Jefferson Avenue · Newport News · American / Casual Dining
Ruby Tuesday's wine program is an afterthought dressed up as a menu section — two Canyon Road pours do not a wine experience make. Order a cocktail, grab a beer, or just accept that wine was never the point here.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown South Bend · South Bend · New American / Fine Dining
Roselily clearly invests in the kitchen — the wine list just didn't get the same memo. The markups are aggressive, the selection is safe to the point of boredom, and nothing here suggests anyone is losing sleep over what's in the cellar. Order something off the cocktail menu and save the bottle of wine for somewhere that cares.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown South Bend · South Bend · New American / Fine Dining
Café Navarre is clearly doing something right in the kitchen, but the wine list is on autopilot — overpriced supermarket brands in a room that deserves more ambition. Order a cocktail, or bring your own if they allow it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Amarillo · New American / Fine Dining
OHMS is doing real cooking, and the wine list hasn't kept up — steep markups on grocery-store names don't match the ambition on the plate. Go for the duck confit, order a cocktail, and save the wine night for somewhere that's actually trying.
Crowd Pleasers
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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