Jersey City's Sweetest Wine Surprise
· Jersey City · French-inspired / Cocktail Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 17, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Madame JC’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walk in expecting cocktails and you'll find something quietly interesting on the dessert menu: a four-label wine list made up entirely of dessert wines and Port. It's not a wine bar, and it's not trying to be — but whoever curated these four picks clearly knew what they were doing. This is a list with a point of view.
Four wines, zero filler. Madame JC has leaned fully into the after-dinner occasion and built a tight, intentional selection around it: a Sauternes from the Bordeaux classic Prince de Saint-Aubin, a Muscat Beaumes de Venise from the Rhône's Famille Perrin, and two expressions of Fonseca Tawny Port at the 10- and 20-year marks. That's Bordeaux, the southern Rhône, and Portugal — all in four picks. There are no red table wines, no whites for dinner service, and no sparkling — if you need something to sip through your entrée, this is not your stop. But as a dessert wine flight destination, the range of styles and age points is genuinely impressive for what it is.
All four wines are poured by the glass, ranging from $13 to $16, which is reasonable for this category — especially the Fonseca 20-Year Tawny at $16, which is a legitimate bargain for a wine with that much age. The list doesn't rotate, but when your list is this focused, consistency is actually a feature.
Fonseca 20-Year Tawny Port — $16/glass
Twenty-year Tawny at $16 a glass is hard to argue with. Fonseca is a serious Port house and their 20-Year has the nutty, dried-fig complexity that takes decades to develop — you're getting real age and real craft for the price of a cocktail.
Famille Perrin Muscat Beaumes de Venise 2019
Most people walk past Muscat Beaumes de Venise without a second thought, which is a mistake. Famille Perrin — better known for Châteauneuf-du-Pape — makes a terrific version: floral, lush, less cloying than Sauternes, and a genuinely underrated category. At $16 it's the most interesting glass on the list.
Prince de Saint-Aubin Sauternes 2015
Not a bad wine, but at $14 a glass it's the least compelling value here — Sauternes is a classic for a reason, but Prince de Saint-Aubin is an entry-level producer, and the 20-Year Tawny next to it drinks more interesting for two dollars more.
Fonseca 10-Year Tawny Port + Cheese course or crème brûlée
A 10-Year Tawny has the caramel and dried fruit notes to hold up against rich custard or a salty, nutty cheese without overwhelming either one — it's the most food-flexible wine on this list.
The Bottom Line
Madame JC isn't a wine destination — it's a cocktail bar that happens to have one of the most focused and genuinely well-chosen dessert wine lists in Jersey City. Show up after dinner, order the 20-Year Tawny, and thank whoever put this menu together.
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
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Basic Stemmed
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Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
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Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Surprising Depth
Fair
Stemless Casual
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Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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Grocery Store
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Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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