Washington wines, waterfront vibes, Monday magic
Alki · Seattle · Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 11, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Duke's Seafood’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Flip open the drinks menu at Duke's Seafood and the Pacific Northwest pride hits immediately — Washington State producers dominate the page, and that's not a complaint. It's a focused, seafood-forward list that knows its audience and mostly plays to its strengths.
The 52-label list leans hard into Columbia Valley and Washington State, with names like Abeja, DeLille, Mark Ryan, and Dunham giving it real local credibility. There's a respectable nod to Napa and Sonoma for the crowd that wants something familiar, plus a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc for the table that insists on New Zealand. Where it gets interesting is the smaller producers — Damsel Cellars showing up with a Cabernet Franc is the kind of curveball you don't expect from a casual seafood chain. Gaps exist: natural wine is nowhere in sight, and anything south of the equator besides Whitehaven is essentially absent.
Eighteen-plus by-the-glass options is genuinely generous for a restaurant at this price point, and the 6oz / 9oz split gives you flexibility whether you're pacing through dinner or just want a big pour with your chowder. The glass selection mirrors the bottle list well — you can snag Mark Ryan Viognier or JM Cellars Sauvignon Blanc without committing to a full bottle, which is the right call here.
JM Cellars Sauvignon Blanc — $52
A small-production Washington State producer that punches above its weight — finding JM Cellars on a casual seafood list at a fair bottle price is the kind of discovery worth ordering around.
Damsel Cellars Cabernet Franc
Most tables at a seafood spot are grabbing Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc on autopilot — which means this Cab Franc is sitting there quietly, underordered and interesting. Cabernet Franc from Washington State is genuinely exciting and Damsel Cellars is a name worth knowing.
DAOU 'Soul of a Lion' Cabernet Sauvignon
At $196 on the menu, you're paying a serious restaurant premium on a wine that's become ubiquitous enough to feel like a brand play rather than a discovery. Save this one for a retail shop.
Mark Ryan Viognier + Duke's Clam Chowder
Viognier's stone fruit and floral weight holds up against the richness of a cream-based chowder without getting steamrolled by it — and Mark Ryan's version has enough texture to actually stand its ground.
Monday — 50% off all bottles of wine, featuring selections from local and international wineries
The Bottom Line
Duke's Seafood isn't a destination wine list, but it's a thoughtful, Washington-proud program with enough local depth to reward curious drinkers — and Monday's half-price bottles make it genuinely hard to argue with. Come for the chowder, stay for the Columbia Valley pour.
Eastlake · Seattle · Italian
Serafina is a reliable Italian neighborhood spot with a wine list that matches its ambitions — cozy, competent, and a little expensive for what it is. Send a friend here for the pasta and Nebbiolo, but warn them to steer clear of the Prosecco markups.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Capitol Hill · Seattle · French / Northwest Seafood and Wine Bar
Bar Melusine is what Capitol Hill needed more of: a focused, France-forward wine program that actually earns its place next to the food. If you're eating oysters in Seattle, this should be in your regular rotation.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Magnolia · Seattle · Italian
Picolinos is the kind of neighborhood Italian where the wine list genuinely backs up the food, and that's rarer than it should be. Send your friends here if they want a proper Barolo with their osso buco without flying to Turin.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Pike Place Market · Seattle · Italian-American with Northwest influence
The Pink Door is a reliable wine list in a genuinely great room — the atmosphere does a lot of heavy lifting, and the wine program is good enough not to get in the way of a memorable evening. Just watch the markups, stick to the Italian bottles, and let the trapeze act do the rest.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Capitol Hill · Seattle · Modern steakhouse with French-influenced Pacific Northwest cuisine
Bateau is the rare steakhouse where the wine list earns as much attention as what's on the butcher board. Markups keep it from being a total steal, but the depth, the staff, and the Pacific Northwest-first perspective make this one worth the splurge.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Belltown · Seattle · Italian
Tavolàta's wine list is exactly what a good Italian pasta spot should have — focused, fairly priced, and honest about what it is. If you're looking for a list to geek out over, keep walking; if you're looking for something that drinks well with great pasta, pull up a chair.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Carmel · Carmel By The Sea · Seafood
Catch is a dependable wine stop for a seafood dinner in Carmel — nothing here will disappoint you, but nothing will surprise you either. If you go in with calibrated expectations and order the Schramsberg with your crab, you'll leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Hood River · Hood River · Seafood
Votum is operating a world-class wine program in a town most people only stop through on the way to a hike — the depth of this cellar belongs in a major city restaurant, and the sommelier presence means you're not navigating it alone. The markups on the prestige bottles will sting, but find your entry point and this list rewards serious attention.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Bowen's Wharf · Newport · Seafood
The Lobster Bar isn't a wine destination, but it's a perfectly competent list for what the restaurant is — a casual waterfront spot where the lobster is the star. Order the Sancerre, eat the oysters, watch the boats.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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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