Tiny Room, Big Wine Ambitions
Old Port · Portland · Mediterranean
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 11, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Lolita’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Lolita, you immediately clock the wood-fired grill and the wine on display — this is not a restaurant that treats its list as an afterthought. Thirty seats total, sommelier on staff, and a list built around grower Champagne and Northern Rhône heavyweights? In Portland, Maine? We're paying attention.
Eighty-plus labels is a serious number for a room this small, and the curation earns every bottle. The list leans hard into Spain and the Mediterranean — think Bodegas Lan Rioja Crianza as your entry point, Planeta Cometa Fiano from Sicily as your wildcard white — while also pulling in serious French names like Domaine des Hautes de Sanziers Chenin Blanc from Saumur and Aubry Brut for those who want grower fizz with their jamon. The crown jewel is René Rostaing's La Landonne, a Côte-Rôtie that has absolutely no business sitting on a 30-seat restaurant list in Maine. There are some gaps — the new-world side is thin — but the intentionality here is obvious.
With an estimated 12–16 pours by the glass, this program punches well above its weight for a room that could easily phone it in with six house wines. Glasses reportedly start at $11, which at a place stocking grower Champagne and Sicilian Fiano is genuinely fair. One weekly Tapas Night features wines not on the regular list — often Spanish — which tells you the team is actively nerding out, not just running down inventory.
Bodegas Lan Rioja Crianza 2011 — $11
Retails around $15 and they're pouring it by the glass at $11 — that math almost never works in a restaurant's favor. Solid Tempranillo with the kind of earthy, dried-cherry backbone that makes grilled meat taste even better. Drink two.
Domaine des Hautes de Sanziers Chenin Blanc (Saumur)
Most people at a wood-fired grill spot reach for red, and that's exactly why you should order this. Saumur Chenin Blanc has enough acidity and grip to cut through charcuterie and hold its own against the smokier plates — and it's the kind of wine that makes you look smart without trying.
René Rostaing La Landonne Côte-Rôtie
This is a genuinely great wine — we're not questioning that. But La Landonne is a collector bottle, and without knowing the markup or provenance here, you're taking a risk. Save it for a dedicated Rhône night somewhere you can give it the attention it deserves. Here, order something you can actually relax with.
Planeta Cometa Fiano + Jamon Serrano
The Cometa is a rich, textured Sicilian white with enough body to stand up to cured meat and enough brightness to keep the salt from flattening everything. Fiano and cured pork is a match that's been working in southern Italy for centuries — Lolita just found the Maine version.
The Bottom Line
Lolita is the kind of wine program that makes you genuinely excited to eat in a 30-seat room — a sommelier-driven list with real range, absurdly fair pricing, and the occasional off-menu Spanish pour to keep things interesting. Yes, send your friends here for wine.
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
Ocean Ave / downtown · Carmel By The Sea · Mediterranean
Dametra is a lively Carmel institution that takes its bottle list more seriously than its casual vibe suggests — the markups sting, but the range is genuinely interesting and a few bottles here are worth seeking out. Send a friend who wants something special with dinner, just tell them to skip the Caymus.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kohala Coast · Kailua-Kona · Mediterranean
Meridia has the setting, the concept, and the menu to deserve a genuinely interesting wine list — instead it serves up resort-hotel boilerplate at punishing markups. Order the paella, drink the cocktails, and save the serious wine for somewhere that cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Helena · Helena · Mediterranean
Mediterranean Breeze is doing what it says on the tin — a relaxed room, recognizable bottles, and $6 glass pours that won't break anyone's budget. Skip the mid-tier markups, aim for Jordan or Kim Crawford, and you'll have a perfectly decent night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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