Burlington's Eastern Mediterranean wine adventure
Church Street Marketplace · Burlington · Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Honey Road’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Honey Road reads like a passport stamp collection — Assyrtiko, Château Musar, Txakoli, Vermentino — and it's immediately clear this isn't a restaurant that phoned it in with a Cabernet-Chardonnay-Pinot Noir trifecta. For Burlington, Vermont, this is genuinely ambitious stuff. It's the kind of list that makes you slow down and actually read it.
The list runs 50-80 bottles deep with a tight regional thesis: Greece, Lebanon, Turkey, Southern Italy, and Spain do the heavy lifting, and there's real commitment to obscure but food-friendly grapes — Godello, Vermentino, and Lebanese reds that most restaurants in this zip code have never heard of. Château Musar 2017 showing up on a Burlington mezze list is a genuine flex, and the Txakoli Ameztoi adds a crisp Basque counterpoint that works brilliantly with lighter bites. The Altesino Rosso di Montalcino rounds out the Italian corner with some red-fruit seriousness. The gaps are minor — you won't find much new-world representation and the list skews heavily white and rosé, which is honestly fine for the food.
With 10-16 options by the glass, there's enough rotation to reward repeat visits without being overwhelming. The program leans into the same regional identity as the bottle list, so expect Greek whites and Mediterranean-leaning pours rather than a by-the-glass lineup built for the timid. We'd love to see more adventurous pours rotated through more frequently, but what's here is coherent and on-theme.
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé 2022 — $72
At 89% markup, this is the most reasonably priced bottle on the list relative to retail. Tempier Bandol Rosé is a serious, structured Provençal wine that earns every dollar — it's not just pink and pretty, it has the backbone to handle the spiced lamb dishes on the menu. You're not getting robbed here.
Bodega Naranjo Godello 2022
Most diners' eyes glide right past Godello, which is a shame because this Galician white has a mineral tension and stone-fruit depth that punches well above its $47 ask. It's a white wine built for food — specifically the kind of rich, herb-forward mezze that Honey Road does well — and almost nobody at the table will know what it is, which means you get to look cool explaining it.
Argiolas Costamolino Vermentino 2022
At $49 with a 172% markup on a $18 retail bottle, this is the worst value on the list. Costamolino is a perfectly fine, easy-drinking Sardinian white — but it's a grocery store staple, not a restaurant showpiece. The markup doesn't reflect the quality ceiling. Order the Godello instead and pocket the difference in satisfaction.
Château Musar 2017 + Lamb kebabs
Musar is practically built for this moment. The 2017 is all dried fruit, leather, and earthy complexity — a Bekaa Valley red with enough age and structure to meet grilled lamb head-on without either one backing down. This is a pairing that makes geographical and gastronomic sense at the same time.
The Bottom Line
Honey Road is doing something genuinely rare: building a wine program with a real point of view in a mid-sized New England city, and the Eastern Mediterranean focus earns it a Wild Card badge without question. The markups are steeper than we'd like — a few bottles tip into hard-to-justify territory — but the sheer ambition and regional coherence of the list make it worth the trip.
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
Downtown Waterfront · Burlington · Seasonal New American, farm-to-table
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.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
· Wichita · Mediterranean
Meddys West is here for the food, and the wine list knows it. If you're looking for something to wash down your meal without drama, the $8 glass is fine — just don't come here expecting the wine to be the point.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Ocean Ave / downtown · Carmel By The Sea · Mediterranean
Dametra is a lively Carmel institution that takes its bottle list more seriously than its casual vibe suggests — the markups sting, but the range is genuinely interesting and a few bottles here are worth seeking out. Send a friend who wants something special with dinner, just tell them to skip the Caymus.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kohala Coast · Kailua-Kona · Mediterranean
Meridia has the setting, the concept, and the menu to deserve a genuinely interesting wine list — instead it serves up resort-hotel boilerplate at punishing markups. Order the paella, drink the cocktails, and save the serious wine for somewhere that cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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