Solid pours where the beer gets top billing
Old Port · Portland · Gastropub · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 15, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Little Tap House arrives as a supporting cast in a beer-forward show, and it knows its role. Twenty-something bottles covering France, California, and the Pacific Northwest — nothing that's going to make you put your phone down, but nothing embarrassing either. It's a gastropub wine list that actually tried, which puts it ahead of most.
The regional spread is respectable for a tap house: France holds the anchor spots with a Sancerre and a Cave de Ribeauvillé Pinot Blanc from Alsace, Austria sneaks in with a Mantlerhof Grüner Veltliner, and California fills out the rest with familiar names. New Zealand gets a seat at the table via the Mohua Sauvignon Blanc. There are no deep cuts or discovery-level producers here — this is a list built for accessibility, not adventure. The gaps are real: no Burgundy, no Spanish or Italian presence to speak of, and the reds lean heavily on California crowd-pleasers.
Eight to twelve pours by the glass is a solid count for a gastropub, and the selection mirrors the bottle list — a few whites, a rosé, a couple reds, nothing that requires explanation. Rotation appears minimal; this is a set-it list rather than one that chases the season. If you're drinking glass pours here, stick to white or rosé — they tend to move faster, which means fresher bottles.
Castle Rock Pinot Noir California — $38
At $38, it's the most approachable red on the list and the one with the slimmest markup at 90%. Not a complex wine, but it's the right call when you want something easy alongside a smash burger without wincing at the bill.
Mantlerhof Grüner Veltliner Austria
Most people at a tap house reach for the Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay without a second thought. The Mantlerhof Grüner is a smarter move — a producer with serious Austrian cred, and Grüner's peppery, mineral edge cuts through fried food and rich lobster rolls in a way that California Chard just doesn't.
Maison Saleya Rosé France
A 130% markup on a $20 retail bottle is the steepest gouge on the list. Rosé is an easy sell in summer, and they know it. At $46, you're paying Provence prices for a wine that doesn't earn them — pass and grab a draft instead.
Cave De Ribeauvillé Pinot Blanc France + Maine Lobster Roll
Alsatian Pinot Blanc has the weight to stand up to a buttery lobster roll without overwhelming the sweet crab-adjacent richness of the Maine lobster. It's got gentle orchard fruit and enough acidity to keep things lively through the whole sandwich. One of the better food-wine moments this list accidentally offers.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Little Tap House is exactly what it says on the tin — a neighborhood gastropub where beer runs the show and wine fills a respectable supporting role. Markups are on the steeper side across the board, but the Grüner and the Pinot Blanc give you something worth ordering if you know where to look.
East End · Portland · Sushi / Japanese
Mr. Tuna isn't a wine destination — it's a great sushi spot that happens to have two sensible, well-chosen bottles and a local can that makes the experience feel intentional. Come for the hand rolls, drink the Vinho Verde, and don't overthink it.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Bayside · Portland · Seafood
A fast-casual raw bar with a wine list that punches well above its category — the French-only focus is a feature, not a limitation. If you're eating oysters in Portland, this is where you want to be drinking.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Deer Isle · Portland · Seafood Fine Dining
Aragosta is the rare case where the wine program matches the remoteness of the drive — you come all the way out here and find a 3,475-bottle cellar waiting for you. Yes, send your friends. Send everyone.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Old Port · Portland · Seafood, American
Scales is playing a different game than the tourist-trap seafood spots on either side of it — the wine list is genuinely Old World-focused and well-matched to the food, which is rare and worth noting. If you're eating clams and mussels on the Portland waterfront, this is where you want to be doing it with a glass in hand.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Arts District · Portland · Seafood, Californian, Contemporary Mexican
Regards isn't trying to be a wine bar, but whoever built this list understands exactly what the food needs and went hunting for it. If you're in Portland and want a bottle that actually earns its place on the table, this is the move.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West End · Portland · French and Spanish
Chaval is punching above its weight class for a neighborhood brasserie in Portland — the list is small but curated by someone who actually cares, with pricing that doesn't punish curiosity. If you're open to going off the beaten path (xarel-lo, South African grenache blanc), this is a genuinely rewarding room to drink in.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Worcester · Gastropub
Armsby Abbey is not a wine destination — it's a world-class beer bar that stocks a wine list so no one at the table feels left out. Respect it for what it is, lean into the Garnacha or the Prosecco, and spend the rest of your mental energy on the tap list.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Jersey City · Jersey City · Gastropub
The Life of Reilly is a cocktail bar first and a wine destination never — but the pricing is so honest and the Albariño so well-chosen that wine drinkers won't feel like an afterthought. Come for the cocktails, stay for a glass of something Spanish.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Fort Myers River District · Fort Myers · Gastropub
10 Twenty Five is a genuinely fun downtown spot where the beer list does the heavy lifting and the wine list shows up mostly as a formality. Come for the atmosphere and the food — just don't expect the wine to give you anything to talk about.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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