Oregon's Greatest Hits, Served With Swagger
Downtown · Portland · New American
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Imperial’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Imperial arrives feeling like the restaurant itself — a little grand, a little hotel-polished, leaning hard into its Pacific Northwest identity. Oregon producers anchor the top of the list, which is exactly what you want when you're sitting inside what amounts to a love letter to the state. The format is clean and approachable, though the prices remind you quickly that you're dining adjacent to the Hotel Lucia.
The list runs 150-200 bottles deep with a clear Pacific Northwest spine — Oregon Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris do the heavy lifting, and they've curated well: Evening Land Seven Springs, Adelsheim, and Eyrie all show up, which signals someone is paying attention and not just defaulting to the distributor's top-seller sheet. California and France fill out the flanks without much surprise, and there's enough range to keep a table of mixed drinkers engaged. That said, if you're hoping for adventurous detours — skin-contact wines, obscure appellations, anything that veers off the beaten path — you won't find them here. This is a confident, well-executed list built for broad appeal rather than rabbit holes.
The by-the-glass program runs 15-25 options in the $14-$22 range, which is respectable for a downtown Portland hotel restaurant. Expect solid Oregon representation in the pours — this isn't a place where the BTG list is just leftover bottles from last week. That said, there's no evidence of active rotation or a rotating gem program, so don't expect surprises; what's on the menu is what's on the menu.
Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Gris — $45–$55
Eyrie is the founding house of Oregon Pinot Gris — this is the grape's home appellation, and getting it at bottle prices in the low-to-mid range on this list is as close to a no-brainer as you'll find here. It's a historic pour for not a lot of money.
Lingua Franca Chardonnay
Most tables at Imperial are going to reach for Pinot Noir and call it a day. But Lingua Franca's Chardonnay — backed by Larry Stone's Burgundy-obsessed vision — is quietly one of the more serious Willamette Chardonnays in the state. It tends to get overlooked next to the Pinots, which means you can often drink it without a fight.
Adelsheim Pinot Noir
Adelsheim is a perfectly good Oregon producer, but at hotel restaurant markup it becomes a tough sell when Evening Land Seven Springs is sitting right next to it on the same list. You're paying for a name that grocery stores carry — push a little further and spend up for something you can't grab at New Seasons.
Evening Land Vineyards Seven Springs Pinot Noir + Wood-roasted chicken
Seven Springs Pinot has that savory, earthy backbone — red fruit with real structure underneath — that stands up to the smoke and fat from Imperial's wood-roasted chicken without running over it. It's the kind of pairing that feels inevitable once you try it.
The Bottom Line
Imperial isn't trying to be a wine destination, but the Oregon-focused list is well-curated and the staff knows what they're pouring — it's just priced for the zip code. Come for the food, let the wine enhance the evening, and don't expect your wallet to escape unscathed.
Kerns · Portland · American
Noble Rot is the rare restaurant wine program that would hold up as a standalone wine bar — deep list, sharp staff, fair prices, and a view that makes the whole experience feel earned. Send your friends here. Send yourself here.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Northeast Portland · Portland · New American
OK Omens is doing something genuinely uncommon: running a focused, adventurous wine program in a neighborhood restaurant without making it feel precious or intimidating. If you're the kind of person who wants to drink something you've never heard of and trust that the staff knows why it's there, send yourself here immediately.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Northwest 23rd · Portland · Rustic French / Northwest French
St. Jack is the rare Portland restaurant where the wine list earns as much respect as the kitchen. The French-Oregon axis is well-executed, the staff knows what they're talking about, and the pot lyonnais format alone is worth the trip.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · Portland · Mexico City–inspired tacos and small plates
Tope is a Wild Card in the best sense — a rooftop taqueria that's quietly assembled a natural and low-intervention wine list worth paying attention to. If you're eating here and only drinking mezcal cocktails, you're leaving half the story on the table.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Portland · Texan–Pacific Northwest, Wood-fired American
Bullard Tavern is the Wild Card badge in its purest form — a smoked-meat joint that snuck in a genuinely considered wine list without making a fuss about it. Send a friend here if they think good wine and good brisket can't coexist.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown/Waterfront · Portland · Seafood, Pacific Northwest
King Tide earns its Wild Card badge by hiding a genuinely curious, well-priced wine list inside what could easily have been a forgettable hotel seafood room. If you're eating oysters on the Willamette, you could do a lot worse than Domaine de l'Écu in your glass.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lake Geneva · New American
Turf. Kitchen + Tap looks like a solid resort wine program — broad enough geographically to suggest some genuine effort, casual enough in setting that nobody's going to quiz you on your order. We'd feel comfortable sending a friend here for a relaxed dinner with a decent glass of wine, but we'd stop short of calling it a destination for the list itself. Come for the views and the Choriqueso; the wine will take care of itself.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Sonoma · New American
El Dorado Kitchen isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's set up squarely in one, and the list reflects that self-awareness. Fair pricing, smart local representation, a few genuinely interesting outliers, and the full list available by the glass make this a reliable stop for a well-poured evening in Sonoma. If you're after a deep cellar or something truly adventurous, look elsewhere — but if you want to drink well without stress, this delivers.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · New American
Siren has a wine list that punches above its weight in a few key areas — particularly the by-the-glass whites and the Champagne bottle program — but the markup structure means you're spending real money to access it. If you're the kind of diner who wants to order Furmint on a Tuesday night in Atlanta, this is one of the few places that makes that possible, and that alone earns it a spot on the shortlist.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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