Safe Bets and Happy Hour Savings Downtown
Downtown Sarasota · Sarasota · American Fine Dining · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed February 27, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Mattison's Forty-One’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Mattison's Forty-One reads like a greatest hits compilation from a resort gift shop—Rombauer, Santa Margherita, Relax Riesling. It's the kind of list designed not to offend anyone, which means it won't thrill anyone either. Eighteen by-the-glass pours suggest they're trying, but the selections lean heavily toward household names at prices that make you wince.
California dominates with predictable players like ZD Wines and Seghisio alongside the ubiquitous Rombauer Chardonnay that every expense-account diner orders. Italy shows up via the Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio route—safe, crisp, utterly forgettable. There's a nod to Germany with Relax Riesling and likely some New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc lurking in there, but nothing suggests anyone's diving deep into lesser-known regions or challenging their guests. The list feels like it was assembled from a corporate distributor's top 50 and left untouched for years.
Eighteen glass pours sounds promising until you realize half are probably the same Caymus/Kendall-Jackson/Joel Gott lineup you'd find at any Cheesecake Factory. The Seghisio Chardonnay is a legitimate bright spot—actual winemaker credibility from Sonoma—but it's swimming in a sea of mall-brand mediocrity. That $2 off happy hour pricing 4-6PM Monday through Saturday is the real play here if you're drinking by the glass.
Seghisio Family Vineyard Chardonnay 2023 — $14
Real Sonoma pedigree at a downtown Florida markup that's merely painful instead of criminal, especially during happy hour
Relax Riesling 2022
Everyone dismisses it because of the blue bottle, but it's an honest Mosel Riesling with clean fruit and the residual sugar actually works with that seafood gumbo
Rombauer Carneros Chardonnay 2023
Probably pushing $75+ on the bottle list for butter-bomb Chardonnay you can find at Costco for $35—the markup here is insulting
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio 2023 + Grouper Piccata
The lemon-caper brightness of piccata needs crisp acid to cut through, and this Alto Adige standard-bearer actually earns its keep alongside Florida grouper
The Bottom Line
Mattison's Forty-One is your reliable downtown option when someone else is paying or you just want a solid meal without wine drama. Hit happy hour, stick to the Seghisio or the German Riesling, and you'll survive with your wallet mostly intact.
Downtown Sarasota · Sarasota · Contemporary American
A one-page list that mixes Greek, Italian and French bottles with Cristal, Taittinger and Laurent-Perrier Champagnes, and posts many prices as two unlabeled numbers. Start with the Gai'a Assyrtiko (70 / 17) alongside the wood-fired octopus, or take the Les Girelles Picpoul (48 / 12) on a Tuesday, when the list says bottles at $99 and less are half off (bubbles and Champagne excluded). This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups, and the list carries no printed date, so confirm current availability and ask which number is the glass.
Downtown Sarasota · Sarasota · American
A 38-wine list that mixes French and California bottles and posts three Cabernet Francs among its reds. Start with the Charles Joguet Chinon at 68 or the Micro-Cosme red at 10 / 39, and ask which number is the glass. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Siesta Key · Sarasota · Italian
A big, Italy-heavy list with a run of $38 house-label bottles and reds that climb to a $696 1993 Quintarelli. Order the $38 C.G. Vini Chianti or the $38 Argiolas Vermentino, and save the Quintarelli for a table that has confirmed it's in stock. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Siesta Drive and US 41 · Sarasota · Steakhouse
A steakhouse list built in two layers: 80 wines on the main list with 42 poured by the glass from $10 to $45, and a 20-wine Reserve list that runs $160 to $715. For a steak dinner, order the Calera by Duckhorn Pinot Noir at $17 a glass with the filet, or pick the $42 Réserve Mont-Redon if the table wants a bottle. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups, and prices should be confirmed.
Sarasota · Sarasota · American with winery focus
A winery-restaurant list built mostly on its own bottlings, with clear glass and bottle prices. Order bin 79 Chardonnay with Dana's Parmesan-Crusted Chicken, or try the $10.75 house Red, and confirm what is pouring in Sarasota. This unrated guide covers the posted wine menu, not service, storage or retail markups.
Siesta Key · Sarasota · American
Summer House posts a seven-page list whose biggest section is Cabernet Sauvignon and blends, with a 31-pour glass page priced from $13 to $38. Start with the $17 Decoy Cabernet by the glass, then buy the $70 bottle if the table likes it, or try the $29 Collefrisio Montepulciano Riserva for something off the Cabernet track. Confirm current availability and prices, since the restaurant says pricing, vintages and wines are subject to change; this unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown / Creekside · Ashland · American Fine Dining
Beasy's is doing more with wine than its modest glass program suggests — the bottle list shows real Oregon pride and some smart international picks at prices that don't insult you. Send a friend here for dinner with a bottle of Cowhorn or Penner-Ash, and they'll thank you.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Side · Charleston · American Fine Dining
High Thyme is the best wine list in the room by a wide margin — the room being Charleston, West Virginia, but still, credit where it's due. Come on a Monday, grab the En Route Pinot at half price, and order the duck.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Crown Center · Kansas City · American Fine Dining
The American Restaurant is the real deal — a Kansas City institution with a wine program that could hold its own in any major dining city. Markups are what you'd expect at this level, but the depth of the Guigal collection alone makes it worth the trip if you care about serious Rhône.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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
