Israeli, Lebanese and Caucasus bottles in an Ancient World section
Rice Village · Houston · Mediterranean, Middle Eastern · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed October 9, 2026 · How we review
Explore Hamsa’s wine-list information. An overall rating has not been assigned. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Hamsa sorts its wines into Ancient, Old and New World. The restaurant says Ancient World covers countries with a long winemaking history, such as Israel, Lebanon and Turkey, and the posted pages fill it mostly with Israeli, Lebanese, Turkish, Georgian and Armenian bottles, plus a Greek and a Slovenian white. The drink menu prints no date, so confirm vintages. This unrated guide covers the posted drink menu, not service, storage or markups.
The Ancient World white page lists 10 wines, from Recanati Chardonnay (2023, 48) to Zorah Voski Voskeat/Garandmak from Armenia (2020, 96). The red page lists 14, from Teliani Saperavi from Georgia (2023, 52) to a Musar Cabernet Blend from 2001 (420), with Domaine du Castel "Grand Vin" (2019, 284) and Massaya "Cap Est" (2018, 105) in between. Old World reds include Domenico Clerico Barolo (2021, 180) and La Rioja Alta "Vina Ardanza Reserva" (2017, 110). New World reds include Frog's Leap Rutherford Cabernet (2021, 140). There is also a Rosé & Orange Wine page with an orange wine from Argentina, Santa Julia "El Zorrito Naranjo" (2023, 58).
The "By the Glass" page lists 9 wines, each with two prices printed like "14 / 52" and no unit labels, so read them as posted. The first number runs from 13 (Daou Rosé, Brundlmayer Grüner Veltliner) to 28 (Delamotte Champagne). The Chateau Musar "Jeune" red (2022) is 19 / 72. A separate happy-hour menu (3PM to 6PM) lists three wines by the glass at 8: Mercat Brut Cava, 2023 Recanati Sauvignon Blanc and 2023 Recanati Petite Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon, plus "Pita'le & a Bottle" at $35 with a choice of Recanati white or red.
The Bottom Line
A drink menu that puts Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Georgia and Armenia first. Start with the Chateau Musar "Jeune" red by the glass (19 / 72) or the Recanati Chardonnay (48), and confirm vintages and prices. This unrated guide covers the posted drink menu, not service, storage or markups.
· Houston · Steakhouse
Six bottles shouldn't work this well, but The Palm Houston's list reads like someone with actual taste had five minutes and zero budget to fix the wine program — and somehow nailed it. We can't speak to service knowledge or storage conditions with confidence, but the value here, especially that Lucien Crochet at $23, is hard to argue with. If you're eating at The Palm anyway, ignore every instinct to order something familiar and trust the list.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Houston · Seafood Steakhouse
Truluck's Houston wines by the glass read like an afterthought appended to what is probably a serious seafood and steak menu. Eight safe, mid-tier California and Spanish pours at steep per-glass pricing is not a wine program — it's a placeholder. If wine matters to your evening, manage expectations or ask what's available on a full bottle list that wasn't captured here.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Ave · Houston · Upscale American Seafood and Steakhouse
Eddie V's is a reliable choice if someone else is picking up the tab and you want a well-maintained list with competent staff to guide you through it. For a self-funded wine night, the likely markups at this price point mean you're paying for the room as much as the bottle — which is fine, as long as you know that going in.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Montrose · Houston · Mediterranean
A very large list organized as Boundaries and Frontiers, with a short glass page that includes Champagne, Portuguese wines, port and madeira. Order the $15/glass Gota Branco, or ask about the Luis Seabra Douro red at 90 (unit not posted) from the Portugal pages, and confirm current availability. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Montrose · Houston · European
A Montrose restaurant with a color-and-country wine list, a separate Rosé & Orange page, and an 18-wine glass list on the dinner menu. Try the Foillard Beaujolais-Villages at 86 (unit not posted) or the Campuget rosé at 14|52 from the glass list, and check the half-off wine windows on the menu. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Houston · American Bar
A short, tidy wine list at a bourbon bar, with a bottle price printed next to every glass. Order the Jermann Pinot Grigio at $16 a glass if you want white, or the Altocedro Malbec at $15 if you want red, and confirm prices because the page isn't dated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
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