Solid Southern tavern with unexpected international flair
Downtown Augusta · Agusta · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 13, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Frog Hollow Tavern’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
A 50-60 bottle list in a historic Augusta tavern doesn't sound promising on paper, but Frog Hollow surprises with some serious international picks. Seeing Domaine Tempier Bandol and Château Musar on a menu that also serves shrimp and grits tells you someone here actually cares about wine.
The list punches above its weight with thoughtful selections from France, Italy, California, and Lebanon. Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel shows they're not afraid of serious California reds, while Château Musar proves someone's doing more than ordering from the corporate distributor catalog. The French and Italian selections round things out nicely, though we'd love to see more depth in individual regions. For a 50-bottle list, they've focused on quality over quantity, skipping the usual suspects for more distinctive producers.
Eight to ten glass pours at $10-16 is exactly what a neighborhood tavern should offer. The range is fair without being boring, and the pricing won't make you wince when you order a second glass. We'd like to see more frequent rotation to keep things interesting for regulars, but the current lineup covers the basics without defaulting to grocery store brands.
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé — $65-75/bottle
Legendary Provence rosé with serious structure and age-worthiness, priced fairly for a wine that often hits $80+ in coastal markets
Château Musar
Lebanese legend that most diners will skip because they don't recognize the name, but it's one of the most distinctive wines on the list with wild complexity from Bekaa Valley
House Wines by the Glass
At the lower end of the glass pour range, you're likely getting generic bulk wine when there are much more interesting options for just a few dollars more
Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel + Duck Confit
California Zin's black pepper spice and dark fruit intensity matches the richness of duck confit perfectly, while the wine's natural acidity cuts through the fat
The Bottom Line
For a Southern tavern in Augusta, Frog Hollow's wine program shows surprising ambition and fair pricing. It's not a destination list, but it's exactly what a reliable neighborhood spot should be: thoughtful enough to surprise you, accessible enough to visit weekly.
Augusta · Agusta · Italian
If you're staying at the Marriott and want something drinkable with your chicken marsala, you'll be fine. But for a restaurant calling itself Italian, the wine list feels like a missed opportunity—more wine-and-dine corporate safe than cucina passion.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Summerville · Agusta · American (New), Seafood, Steakhouse
Calvert's knows who they are: a special-occasion steakhouse for people who want Napa big boys without the usual 4x markup. The list plays it safe, but at least they play fair.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Augusta · Agusta · American
Augusta Grill won't win awards for wine list creativity, but with markups hovering around 20-30% and a solid international selection, it's exactly what you want from a neighborhood spot. Order with confidence.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Jersey City · New American
Mathews isn't a destination wine list, but it's honest, fairly priced, and more thoughtful than it looks at first glance. Send a friend here if they want a good glass without a lecture.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Western Addition · San Francisco · New American
Progress isn't trying to be the biggest wine list in San Francisco — it's trying to be the most interesting one, and it largely succeeds. If you want Napa Cab and familiar labels, go somewhere else; if you want to drink Grignolino and Furmint with dinner and feel genuinely good about the prices, this is your room.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· San Diego · New American
Paradisaea's wine list punches well above what you'd expect from a San Diego New American — eclectic without being pretentious, fairly priced without being cheap. We'd send a wine-curious friend here and tell them to skip the obvious bottles and dig into the Italian section.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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