Wine Wednesday Changes Everything on Burnside
Southeast Portland · Portland · Contemporary American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Davenport’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The list at Davenport reads like it was curated by someone who actually travels — Loire Valley discoveries rubbing shoulders with Sicilian gems and elegant Oregon pinots, all under one cozy Southeast Portland roof. It's 150 bottles deep, which is ambitious for a single dining room on E Burnside. You don't expect this kind of range walking into a neighborhood spot, and that's exactly the point.
Davenport anchors itself in Oregon — makes sense given the address — but the real intrigue is how far it reaches beyond state lines. Loire Valley producers bring the kind of acid-driven whites and savory reds that make food taste better, while the Sicilian section skews toward indigenous varieties most Portland restaurants wouldn't bother with. The Piedmont representation adds old-world gravitas without turning the list into a museum piece. There are no obvious filler bottles here; every region on this list appears to have been chosen with intention.
Somewhere between 12 and 18 options by the glass, which is a respectable spread for a room this size. The pours track with the broader list philosophy — expect at least one Loire white, a rotating Oregon red, and something from Italy that'll make you look twice. Rotation appears tied to the bottle program, so what's interesting on the list tends to show up in the glass.
Oregon Pinot Noir (house selection) — $45
On any given Wednesday, this is half price — making it one of the better deals in Portland for a proper Oregon pinot in a restaurant setting. The entry-level bottle price is already fair; at 50% off it's almost irresponsible not to order it.
Sicilian selection
Most tables at Davenport are going to reach for the Oregon section by reflex, which means the Sicilian bottles sit underordered. Indigenous Sicilian varieties — think Nerello Mascalese or Carricante — at this price point in a restaurant context are genuinely rare. Ask your server what's pouring from Sicily right now.
Top-end bottles near $200
The ceiling on this list hits $200, and at that price point in a neighborhood bistro, you're paying for the occasion more than the wine. The sweet spot here is firmly in the $45–$80 range — that's where Davenport's curation earns its keep.
Loire Valley white + Roasted chicken
A Muscadet or Savennières-style Loire white cuts through the richness of a properly roasted bird in a way that heavier Chardonnay never quite manages. The high acid keeps each bite tasting like the first one.
Wednesday — 50% off all bottles of wine
The Bottom Line
Davenport is the kind of neighborhood wine list that makes you wish every block had one — thoughtful, fairly priced, and genuinely surprising without being precious about it. Come on a Wednesday and you'll leave wondering why you ever paid full price for wine anywhere else.
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