Washington wines, waterfront vibes, Monday magic
Alki · Seattle · Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 11, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Duke's Seafood’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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.
Downtown · Seattle · Brazilian Churrascaria
The real headline here is the half-price South American bottles — available Monday through Thursday, all day, on bottles under $150 — which turns a polished steakhouse into a legitimately reasonable wine night. The list won't excite anyone who came for the wine, but if you came for the meat and want a solid regional bottle at a fair price, this deal is worth planning around.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Active Program
Acceptable
Ballard · Seattle · Italian
A short, Italian-leaning list with most of its bottles in the Old World red section. Order the $11 Montepulciano by the glass, or the $69 Travaglini Gattinara if you want to splurge a little, and confirm prices on the day. This unrated guide covers the posted wine menus, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Seattle · Pacific Northwest / New American
A hotel wine list with a Pacific Northwest page up front, Champagne, Bordeaux and Italian sections behind it, and a separate glass list on the drink menu. Start with the $12 Treveri Blanc de Blancs at happy hour or the Mark Ryan 'Goldfinch Tavern Red Blend', and check the current list before you go, since the restaurant says menus are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list and drink menu, not service, storage or markups.
Lake Union · Seattle · Steakhouse
A long, Northwest-first steakhouse list with plenty of bottles under $100 as well as a $300-to-$550 tier of Leonetti and Quilceda Creek Cabernets. Start with the $20 Five Star Cellars “Prime” Cabernet by the glass, or the same wine at $55 on the bottle pages, and confirm prices because the list says vintages and availability change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Capitol Hill · Seattle · Italian
An all-Italian list that is easy to navigate: 11 wines by the glass from $13 to $30, a bottle list sorted by region, and $8 house wine during Apericena. Order the Soave at $13 or the $17 Kerner by the glass, or the Villa Venti Sangiovese with the tagliatelle al ragu, and confirm prices because the page says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Central District · Seattle · Seafood
A mostly natural, mostly French bottle list that stretches from $60 Muscadet to a $455 Champagne, with a deep run of Jura, Savoie and Loire bottles. Start with the $60 Hautplanty Muscadet or the $72 Laurent Herlin Cabernet Franc, and ask about the list’s ◆ and ◉ key if you want help choosing between classic and wild. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks selection, not service, storage or markups.
· Flowery Branch · Seafood
Fish Tales is on Lake Lanier, which should be a natural setting for a thoughtful selection of cold, crisp whites. Instead, the wine program is a single bottle of heavily buttered California Chardonnay. We'd recommend sticking to whatever's on tap and revisiting the wine situation if anything changes.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Perimeter Center · Dunwoody · Seafood
Louisiana Bistreaux is genuinely worth visiting for the food — the seafood is the draw, full stop. But if wine is part of your evening, don't come here expecting the list to match the kitchen's ambition. Order the crawfish ravioli, get a cocktail or a cold beer, and save the wine exploration for somewhere that's put in the work.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Cartersville · Seafood
Maine Street Coastal Cuisine is a seafood spot that doesn't take wine seriously, and the five-label, all-$7, no-producer list makes that clear without apology. If you're here for the food, drink the cocktails or crack a beer — the wine list isn't worth the conversation.
Grocery Store
Fair
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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