Salem's dessert wine secret hiding in plain sight
· Salem · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 23, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Ledger Restaurant & Bar’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You flip to the wine section and it's five options — all of them sweet or fortified. This isn't a wine list, it's a dessert wine flight dressed up as a menu. Weird? Yes. Interesting? Absolutely.
Ledger isn't trying to be a wine destination, but whoever curated this short list made some deliberate calls. Oddero is a serious Piedmontese producer, and seeing their Moscato d'Asti and Rosso Vermouth on the same menu is a flex most restaurants wouldn't even attempt. The Bugey-Cerdon from Domaine Lingot Martin — a pétillant naturel-adjacent pink from one of France's more obscure appellations — shows genuine range. Kopke's Tawny Portos at both 10 and 20 years round things out with Old World credibility. What's missing is everything else: no dry whites, no reds, no bubbles beyond the Cerdon. This is a dessert wine program, full stop.
All five options pour by the glass, priced $11–$19, and the range is tighter than your average airport lounge but more interesting than most. The Cerdon and Moscato lean fizzy and light; the Kopkes go deep and rich. There's no rotation we can confirm — this reads like a static program.
Domaine Lingot Martin Bugey-Cerdon "Tradition" — $15/glass
Bugey-Cerdon is one of France's most underrated appellations — slightly fizzy, rosé-style, with natural sweetness. At $15 a glass from a real producer, this is a steal for something you almost never see on a restaurant list.
Oddero Rosso Vermouth "Vermouth del Kamerlengo"
Most people walk right past vermouth on a menu. Don't. Oddero makes this from Barolo-adjacent grapes and it drinks like a serious aperitivo — complex, bitter-edged, and nothing like the sad rail stuff you've been avoiding.
Kopke Tawny Porto 10yr
At $14 a glass it's not gouging, but if you're going Kopke, just go the extra $5 for the 20yr. The 10yr feels like a placeholder next to its older sibling.
Oddero Moscato d'Asti "Cascina Fiori" 2023 + Dessert course
Low alcohol, naturally sweet, and bright with peach and apricot — Cascina Fiori is purpose-built for the end of a meal. Whatever they're pouring for dessert, this lifts it without overwhelming it.
The Bottom Line
Ledger's wine list is exactly five bottles and every one of them is sweet or fortified — which sounds like a disaster but somehow works as a tightly curated dessert wine program. Don't come here for a Pinot Noir, but do linger after dinner with a Cerdon or a 20-year Tawny and you'll leave quietly impressed.
· Salem · Wine Bar
Santiam is quietly doing something right in a market that doesn't always demand it — a focused, all-by-the-glass list with fair prices and a few genuinely interesting picks. If you're in Salem and you care about what's in your glass, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Salem · Steakhouse
Best Little Roadhouse isn't going to make a wine lover's shortlist, but it's not ripping anyone off either — fair prices, local representation, and everything available by the glass makes this a solid steakhouse wine program that doesn't embarrass itself. Come for the steak, order the WVV Pinot, and leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Sun Lakes · Chandler · New American
Stone & Barrel is a solid neighborhood destination in the southeast Valley where the food — especially the wood-fired pizza — is the main event, and the wine list is a willing supporting act. We don't have enough detail on the full wine program to send you in with a specific bottle in hand, but if you're going for a casual dinner with friends in Sun Lakes, you're unlikely to go thirsty. Come for the pizza, manage your expectations on the wine, and you'll have a good night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Brookhaven · Brookhaven · New American
Haven isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes that clear — but 24 by-the-glass options and a few genuine bright spots like the Argiano Super Tuscan and the rosé section mean you won't go thirsty or regret the pour. Watch the markup on the familiar California names and steer toward the edges of the list for anything interesting. A perfectly fine wine program for a Brookhaven dinner; just don't show up expecting to be surprised.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Plano · New American
The Mercury is a safe, competent wine list for a polished New American in Plano — you won't be stuck drinking something bad, but you probably won't discover anything new either. If you're here, the Allegrini Ripasso is worth the detour from the obvious picks, and we'd skip the Moët unless someone else is paying.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
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
