Baltimore's Best Excuse to Drink Txakoli
Clipper Mill · Baltimore · Basque/Spanish · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed March 23, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed La Cuchara’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into La Cuchara — a converted historic mill with a wood-burning grill and a big communal bar at its center — the wine list feels like it was written by someone who actually went to Spain and paid attention. It's not trying to be everything to everyone, and that restraint is exactly right. This is a Basque restaurant with a Basque wine list, and that focus earns immediate respect.
The list clocks in somewhere between 75 and 100 bottles and keeps its eyes firmly on the Iberian Peninsula — Basque Country, Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and Rías Baixas anchor the selections with genuine intention. You'll find Txakoli from producers like Txomin Etxaniz sitting alongside Rioja Reserva pours and Albariño from Rías Baixas, a tight but credible snapshot of what Spain actually drinks. Cava gets a nod for bubbles, which is the correct call in this context. If you're hunting for Burgundy or Napa Cab, you came to the wrong party — and honestly, that's a feature, not a bug.
Twelve to sixteen options by the glass is genuinely generous for a list this focused, and the rotation appears to track the menu's seasonal shifts. Expect Txakoli and Albariño to anchor the whites, with Rioja filling out the red side of the board. It's not a by-the-glass program that's going to blow your mind on discovery, but it's honest and well-matched to the food.
Albariño, Rías Baixas — $14
Albariño at a Basque pintxos bar is exactly where it belongs — bright acidity, saline edge, and priced fairly enough to order a second glass without doing math in your head. It's the right wine in the right room.
Txakoli, Txomin Etxaniz
Most tables skip past it because they can't pronounce it, which means more for you. This slightly effervescent Basque white is low-alcohol, bracingly tart, and made to be poured from height into a wide glass. Order it with the shrimp a la plancha and don't look back.
Cava
Nothing wrong with Cava in principle, but here it reads as an afterthought — a checkbox for tables that want bubbles. At these price points, the Txakoli does the job better and makes more sense on the menu.
Txakoli, Txomin Etxaniz + Shrimp a la plancha
The salty, charred snap of shrimp off a wood-burning grill needs something with zip and a little sea air. Txakoli has both in abundance. It cuts through the fat, amplifies the brine, and keeps the whole thing feeling light enough to order another round.
Sunday — Half-price wine on Sunday nights
The Bottom Line
La Cuchara is a Wild Card in the best possible sense — it's a Spanish-focused list in a city that doesn't have nearly enough of them, priced fairly and built around the food. Show up on a Sunday, order a bottle of Rioja Reserva at half price, and eat croquettes until you lose count.
· Baltimore · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Baltimore isn't trying to be a wine destination and doesn't pretend otherwise — the list exists to serve the meat program, and it does that job adequately. If you're here for the churrasco experience, the Catena Vista Flores or the Garzón Albariño will see you through. Just don't expect discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Locust Point · Baltimore · Italian
An Italian list that leads with Campania, then works region by region through the rest of Italy. Start with the La Passera Greco di Tufo at 50 for white or the Terredora Aglianico at 48 for red, and if you want Chianti, the Banfi Riserva is 45. Prices come from the wine list linked as "Wine List 24" and post no unit, so confirm what is available. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Harbor East · Baltimore · Italian
Cinghiale's glass list is built for exploring Italy, with 23 pours, each offered in three or six ounces. Try a three-ounce Donelli Lambrusco at $4.50 or Gini Soave Classico 2024 at $6 before committing to a larger pour, then ask about the regional bottle list. Confirm the current list before ordering.
Bel Air · Baltimore · Wine Bistro / Light Bites
A glass list built for tasting around: 25 wines, each at 3 oz and 6 oz, with a much deeper bottle list behind it. Start with the $5 (3 oz) Alta Vista Vive Malbec, then switch to the Maison L'Envoyé Gamay Noir for a lighter red, and confirm current prices before you go. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks list, not service, storage or markups.
Baltimore · Baltimore · Contemporary Bistro
A long list with a steep price ladder: 56 at the bottom and 1875 at the top. Start with the Carl Graff Riesling at 62 or the Monteleone Etna Rosso at 90, and compare the libations sheet before you commit, since many of the same wines carry much lower numbers there. Prices print without units and the pages carry no date, so confirm both with your server. This unrated guide covers the posted wine lists, not service, storage or markups.
Canton · Baltimore · American, Irish, Pub
A short pub list that stays simple and tells you what each wine tastes like. Start with the Kung Fu Girl Riesling at 12 | 36 or the Simi Chardonnay at 13 | 40 next to the crab cake; the page is undated, so confirm what is pouring and ask which number is the glass. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp