Baltimore's Best Excuse to Drink Txakoli
Clipper Mill · Baltimore · Basque/Spanish · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 23, 2026
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.
Sparks · Baltimore · French-inspired with Mid-Atlantic seasonal ingredients
Explore the glass list before committing to a bottle: $12 Crémant and $17 Chinon give you two clear starting points. Prices and six-ounce servings come from the posted list checked in September 2026. Confirm availability; this menu guide doesn't rate service or cellar conditions.
· Baltimore · American
Give the international and local sections a look before defaulting to Burgundy. Sula at $70 and Old Westminster at $90 offer different budget options. These are posted bottle prices, not guaranteed stock; confirm availability. This menu guide doesn't rate service or cellar conditions.
Mount Vernon · Baltimore · Northern Italian
Try Lavignone at $14 a glass or compare a $52 bottle if everyone wants the same red. Sotto Sopra makes that budget decision straightforward. Prices come from the posted menu checked in September 2026; availability can change, and this guide doesn't rate service or cellar conditions.
· Baltimore · Italian
Facci's wine list is a quiet overachiever: all-Italian, regionally adventurous, and priced without greed. If you want to drink something you've never heard of and pay a fair price for it, this is your spot.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Clipper Mill · Baltimore · American, Farm to Table
True Chesapeake is a Wild Card in the best possible sense — a working waterfront oyster spot with a Wine Spectator-recognized list helmed by a sommelier who clearly cares. Go for the oysters, stay for the Weinbach, and don't skip the Muscadet.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Horseshoe Casino · Baltimore · Steak house, European
Gordon Ramsay Steak isn't going to surprise you, but it delivers a solid, award-backed California-and-France wine list in a setting where you'd half-expect to be handed a laminated card with three options. For a casino steakhouse in Baltimore, that's genuinely worth something.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
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.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
