Historic Hotel Charm, Dependable Bottle List
Downtown Concord · Manchester · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 19, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Granite Restaurant at The Centennial Hotel’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Granite feels like it was built to reassure rather than excite — familiar names, comfortable regions, nothing that's going to make anyone nervous. That's not an insult exactly, but it sets the tone. You're in a handsome historic hotel dining room and the wine list is playing it very safe to match.
California dominates, with nods to the Pacific Northwest and a slice of France to keep things respectable. The producers on the list — Jordan, Sonoma-Cutrer, Meiomi — are competent, recognizable, and wildly over-represented on hotel restaurant wine lists across the country. There's no real New England angle here, no local producer curiosity, and no deep dive into anything that would surprise a seasoned drinker. The list clocks in around 40-60 bottles, which is enough to make choices but not enough to get excited about the choices you're making.
The by-the-glass program runs 8-12 options, which is a reasonable spread for a room of this size. Expect the usual suspects: a Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir, something red and big from California. Rotation appears minimal — this reads more like a static list than one that gets refreshed with the seasons.
Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay — null
If you're going to drink California Chardonnay in a hotel dining room, Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches is at least the real deal — restrained, not over-oaked, and a known quantity that tends to be one of the more honestly priced bottles on lists like this.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon
Jordan gets dismissed as a mainstream pick, but it's actually one of the better-made, more classically structured California Cabs you'll find. On a list this conventional, it stands out as the bottle with genuine age-worthiness and a house that has been doing the work for decades.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
Meiomi is a mass-market blended Pinot Noir built for sweetness and volume — it's fine at a grocery store for $18, but on a hotel restaurant list it almost certainly carries a markup that makes no sense for what's in the bottle.
Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay + Mussel Pot
Mussels and a well-made California Chardonnay are a classic for a reason — the wine's acidity cuts through the briny broth and the richness of any cream or butter in the pot, while the fruit keeps things lively.
The Bottom Line
Granite is a dependable, unfussy wine list in a genuinely lovely room — if you want something interesting, you'll have to make peace with ordering safe. It's not a destination for wine lovers, but it won't ruin your dinner either.
Manchester · Manchester · Wine Bar / Small Plates
Vine Thirty Two is doing the most credible wine program in Manchester, and by a comfortable margin. Send a friend here — just tell them to skip the Whispering Angel and ask questions.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Manchester · Manchester · Mexican
Margaritas Manchester is a fun night out, and the bar program clearly gets the attention. The wine list is not the reason to come here — order the cocktails, enjoy the room, and don't overthink the glass pours.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Millyard · Manchester · Casual American
Come here for the burgers and maybe a beer — the wine list is an obligation, not an attraction. If wine matters to your night out, this isn't your spot.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Manchester · Manchester · Modern American Grill
110 Grill Manchester is the wine equivalent of a reliable friend — not the most exciting person in the room, but they always show up and they never let you down. Send your friends here if they want a decent glass with dinner and zero stress; just don't send the Burgundy nerds.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Willow · Manchester · Mexican
Shorty's is a margarita bar that happens to have wine on the menu — and the wine knows it. Come for the frozen drinks and the fajitas; leave the wine list to collect dust.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Willow · Manchester · Tex-Mex
Cactus Jack's is a fun place to eat Tex-Mex and throw back a margarita, and that's exactly the order of operations we'd recommend. The wine list is an afterthought dressed up as a menu section — don't send a friend here for wine unless the friend truly doesn't care about wine.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· McMinnville · New American
Thistle is the kind of neighborhood restaurant that McMinnville deserves — rooted in place, edited in approach, and situated in one of the best wine regions in North America. We can't name specific bottles right now, but the regional focus on Willamette Valley and France tells us the list has a point of view. If you're heading to wine country and want a real dinner, this is worth a reservation.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Irvine · New American
Reunion Kitchen isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list proves it. Three by-the-glass pours from mass-market California producers, priced at a premium — this is a wine program on autopilot. Order a cocktail or a beer and save the wine for somewhere that actually thought about it.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Decatur · New American
Miller Union is doing something unusual: a wine program with no fat on it, just four deliberate producers matched to a meal's arc. We don't have pricing data to grade the value, and the fixed structure won't satisfy anyone looking to explore freely — but the bones of this list are genuinely good. If you trust the kitchen, trust the wine program too.
Small but Thoughtful
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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