Vermont's Best Wine List Hiding in Plain Sight
Downtown Waterfront · Burlington · Seasonal New American, farm-to-table · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 18, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Hen of the Wood hits differently than you'd expect from a Burlington restaurant — this isn't a token afterthought stapled to a farm-to-table menu. At 150–250 bottles deep, it reads like someone actually thought hard about what belongs here, leaning into Loire, Burgundy, Alsace, and new-wave California producers with clear intention. It's the kind of list that makes you want to skip the cocktail and go straight to a glass.
The geographic spread here is genuinely impressive: Loire Valley, Beaujolais, Sicily, Austria, Alsace, Piedmont, and a California contingent that skews decidedly left-of-center. This isn't a list padded with Sonoma Cabs and Willamette Pinots to please the masses — producers like Dirty & Rowdy and Folk Machine signal that whoever built this list has strong opinions and isn't afraid of them. The Domaine Louis Boillot Gevrey-Chambertin is the serious flex, a proper village-level Burgundy that earns its place. Gaps are hard to find; the weak link might simply be that the list is so France-forward that New World drinkers could feel slightly adrift.
Twelve to eighteen pours by the glass is a generous program, and the curation is sharp — Domaine de la Paonnerie from the Loire and Folk Machine Chenin Blanc from California sitting side by side tells you exactly who's running this show. The glass list rotates with the menu (daily changes mean the kitchen and the wine program are actually talking to each other), so what's available tonight might not be here next week. That's a feature, not a bug.
Folk Machine Chenin Blanc, California — null
Folk Machine punches well above its price bracket — bright, textured, and versatile enough to run with almost anything on a daily-changing menu. At by-the-glass pricing in a room this caliber, it's the move if you're not ready to commit to a bottle.
Dirty & Rowdy Sémillon, California
Most people scroll past Sémillon on a wine list because they don't know what to do with it. Dirty & Rowdy makes a case for why that's a mistake — their version is waxy, savory, and built for food. At a restaurant firing wood-roasted vegetables and oysters, this is doing serious work that a Chardonnay simply cannot.
Domaine Louis Boillot Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy
It's a great wine — we're not questioning that. But Gevrey-Chambertin at a restaurant markup in a farm-to-table spot means you're paying a premium on top of a premium. Unless you're celebrating something real, that money goes further elsewhere on this list.
Domaine de la Paonnerie, Loire Valley + Oysters
Loire Valley whites and oysters is one of those combinations that exists because the universe occasionally gets things right. The Paonnerie's minerality and bright acidity cut through the brine and fat of a fresh oyster without overpowering it — this is the glass you order the moment the oysters hit the table.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Hen of the Wood Burlington is the rare restaurant where the wine list is as considered as the food, and that's saying something when the kitchen is this good. If you're driving through Vermont and care about what's in your glass, this is worth a reservation.
Waterfront · Burlington · Craft Brewery with Bar Snacks
Foam is a brewery first, but the wine program punches way above its weight class — it's small, local, and priced like they actually want you to drink it. If you're on Burlington's waterfront and want something interesting in your glass that isn't a hazy IPA, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Burlington · New American with Vegan Options
The Daily Planet isn't a wine destination, but it has the instincts of one — a thoughtful natural wine pick, Monday half-price bottles, and fair pricing in a casual room that doesn't take itself too seriously. Send a friend here on a Monday and tell them to ask about the orange wine.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown · Burlington · New American Bistro
The Gryphon is a reliable neighborhood bistro with a wine list that matches its ambitions exactly: familiar, functional, and forgettable. Come for the burgers and brick walls, but don't expect the wine to be the highlight of your night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Burlington · Neapolitan wood-fired pizza and Italian cuisine
Pizzeria Verità isn't trying to be a wine destination and it doesn't need to be — it's a smart, Italy-focused list with honest markups and a few genuinely interesting bottles tucked in among the crowd-pleasers. Go for the pizza, order the Nebbiolo or the Cirò, and leave happy.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Church Street Marketplace · Burlington · Upscale American Steakhouse
EB Strong's has a wine list that does the job well and occasionally surprises you — especially if you look past the Caymus and dig into the European picks. Wednesday's half-price bottle program makes it one of the better wine-value nights in Burlington, full stop.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Church Street Marketplace · Burlington · Italian
Pascolo's wine list won't win any awards for ambition, but it's curated with more care than most Italian spots bother to show. If you're eating house-made pasta in Burlington and want to drink something Italian that actually means something, this gets the job done.
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.