Trophy Bottles, Harbor Views, Pay Accordingly
Downtown Waterfront · Newport · Contemporary American Steak and Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 23, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Forty 1° North – The Grill’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at The Grill lands the way the marina views do — impressive at first glance, clearly designed to impress. At roughly 175 labels with a price ceiling that climbs into four figures, this is a list built for people who want to drop serious money on a special occasion. Whether that money is well spent is a different conversation.
The cellar hits the expected luxury checkpoints: Burgundy (including a 2014 DRC Echezeaux), Champagne royalty from Krug to Cristal to Dom Pérignon, Napa heavyweights like Opus One, and Italian icons such as Ornellaia 2011 and Vietti Brunate Barolo 2012. Vega Sicilia Unico 2002 is a genuine flex — that bottle belongs on any serious list. Willamette Valley and Provence round out the geography, keeping Oregon Pinot and rosé drinkers in the game. The gaps show, though: natural wine is absent, the under-$60 tier feels thin, and the list reads more like a greatest-hits collection than a curated perspective.
By-the-glass specifics aren't confirmed, which is itself a mild yellow flag — a list this size should be shouting its glass program from the rooftop bar. If you're not ordering a bottle, ask your server what's open; a place with this inventory should have something worth pouring. Don't default to the obvious.
Vietti Brunate Barolo 2012 — null
Vietti's Brunate is one of the great single-vineyard Barolos — structured, age-worthy, and still approachable at 12 years out. On a list full of hype bottles, this one quietly delivers the most wine per dollar of the prestige tier. Price not confirmed, but it's the move if you're spending big and want substance over status.
Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Ornellaia Bolgheri 2011
Bolgheri gets overshadowed by Burgundy and Napa on lists like this, but the 2011 Ornellaia is a sleeper hit — a Bordeaux-style Super Tuscan that's hitting its stride right now. Guests fixated on the DRC and Opus One walk right past it. Their loss.
Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne NV
At $110 a bottle, you're paying a steep premium for a label that costs half that at any decent wine shop. Veuve is reliable, sure, but this is a list with actual Champagne worth drinking — Krug, Cristal, Dom Pérignon. If you're going Champagne here, go all the way or skip it entirely.
Chateau d'Yquem Bordeaux 1999 + Local Oysters
Classic move, and it earns its reputation. The 1999 d'Yquem is honeyed and electric with acidity — it plays off the brine of Newport oysters in a way that feels almost unfair. Yes, it's $490. Yes, it's worth it if you're already at the table.
The Bottom Line
The Grill is a reliable stop for a well-heeled special occasion — the trophy bottles are real, the setting is legitimately great, and the food program backs up the ambition. Just know you're paying Newport waterfront prices with Newport waterfront markups, so choose your bottle wisely.
· Newport · Fine Dining / New American
Castle Hill's wine list is a quiet overachiever in a setting that could easily get away with doing far less. The by-the-glass depth is real, the format variety is a genuine bonus, and the Lustau Fino alone justifies scanning the list carefully. Prices trend steep as you'd expect from a waterfront inn, but the curation earns some goodwill — just don't autopilot to the Cabernet.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Newport · Seafood / Clam Shack
Flo's is a genuine New England institution for fried clams and clam cakes, and we'd happily eat there any day of the week. But the wine program is essentially non-existent — two options, one of them a mystery, and one of them a Champagne marked up 100%. Order the ice cold beer instead; it's literally on the menu as the drink of choice, and they're not wrong.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Newport · Wine bar / small plates
Bar 12 is a well-priced, no-drama wine stop in a city where wine lists can get away with being lazy and expensive. The selection is commercial and safe, but the Grüner and the Willamette Pinot Noir show someone made at least a couple of interesting calls. If you want a solid glass without a markup headache, it delivers — just don't come looking for discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Newport · Winery Tasting Room
Greenvale Vineyards is a legitimate reason to detour off Bellevue Avenue. The estate list is small but not lazy — the Ramato alone earns the visit — and at $25 to $40 a bottle, you're paying tasting room prices, not restaurant markups. If you're spending a day in Newport, this is where you buy a bottle for the waterfront, not where you linger over a three-course dinner.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Outskirts / North End · Newport · Farm-to-Table / Winery Restaurant
Brix isn't trying to be a destination wine list — it's trying to be a great ambassador for one vineyard's work, and it mostly succeeds. Send your curious friends here; send your Burgundy obsessives somewhere else.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Lower Thames · Newport · Farm-to-Table / New American
TSK is quietly one of the better wine lists in Newport, which is a town that doesn't exactly set a high bar — but this one would hold its own in most cities. If you're eating farm-to-table food and want a bottle that actually matches the kitchen's ethos, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
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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