Chainsaw Charm With a Decent Pour
Tigard · Portland · Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 10, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at McCormick & Schmick's doesn't try to surprise you — and honestly, that's fine. It's a chain seafood house doing chain seafood house things, but the by-the-glass pricing is genuinely hard to argue with. You flip open the menu expecting to get gouged and instead find $7 pours of wines that retail for double digits.
The list runs 60-100 bottles deep and sticks firmly to recognizable West Coast and New World names: California, Washington, Oregon, New Zealand, and Argentina make up the bulk of it. Entry-level crowd-pleasers like Mark West Pinot Noir and Sterling Merlot anchor the accessible end, while Caymus, Duckhorn, Stags' Leap, and a trio of Orin Swift bottles (8 Years in the Desert, Abstract, Palermo) give the list a bit of ambition at the top. There are no real deep-cuts or obscure producers here — this list is built for the person who wants something familiar and good with their Dungeness crab, not the person hunting for a grower Champagne. The gap between the everyday pours and the premium bottles is wide, with not much interesting territory in between.
The by-the-glass program splits into a standard tier around $7 and a premium tier around $9, with 10+ options total — solid coverage for a seafood-focused menu. You'll find Acrobat Pinot Gris, Bonterra Chardonnay, and Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling doing the heavy lifting alongside the fish. Rotation appears minimal — this reads more like a set program than one that changes with the seasons.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $7
Retails for $9 and you're paying $7 a glass at a restaurant — that math almost never works in your favor. It's an off-dry Washington Riesling that's a natural with oysters on the half shell, and at this price you're not sweating whether to order a second pour.
Orin Swift 8 Years in the Desert
Most people at a chain seafood spot are reaching for the Chardonnay or Pinot Noir and leaving the Orin Swift bottles untouched. 8 Years in the Desert is a Zinfandel-forward blend that's bold enough to stand up to cedar-plank salmon glazed with something sweet or smoky — it's the most interesting bottle on the list and it tends to get ignored.
Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio
At $7 a glass it's technically priced fine, but Ecco Domani is grocery store Pinot Grigio with a restaurant markup applied to something that should cost less than a coffee. With Acrobat Pinot Gris sitting right next to it for $9, there's no reason to settle.
Acrobat Pinot Gris + Fresh fish of the day
Oregon Pinot Gris has the weight to hold its own against a seared or pan-roasted daily fish without walking all over it. Acrobat is crisp with a bit of texture, and at $9 a glass it's the kind of pairing that makes the whole meal click without any effort.
✔️ The Bottom Line
McCormick & Schmick's isn't where you go to geek out on wine, but the by-the-glass pricing is legitimately fair and the list has just enough range to handle a solid seafood dinner. Send your parents here; just steer them away from the Ecco Domani.
Northwest 23rd · Portland · Rustic French / Northwest French
St. Jack is the rare Portland restaurant where the wine list earns as much respect as the kitchen. The French-Oregon axis is well-executed, the staff knows what they're talking about, and the pot lyonnais format alone is worth the trip.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · Portland · Mexico City–inspired tacos and small plates
Tope is a Wild Card in the best sense — a rooftop taqueria that's quietly assembled a natural and low-intervention wine list worth paying attention to. If you're eating here and only drinking mezcal cocktails, you're leaving half the story on the table.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Portland · Texan–Pacific Northwest, Wood-fired American
Bullard Tavern is the Wild Card badge in its purest form — a smoked-meat joint that snuck in a genuinely considered wine list without making a fuss about it. Send a friend here if they think good wine and good brisket can't coexist.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown/Waterfront · Portland · Seafood, Pacific Northwest
King Tide earns its Wild Card badge by hiding a genuinely curious, well-priced wine list inside what could easily have been a forgettable hotel seafood room. If you're eating oysters on the Willamette, you could do a lot worse than Domaine de l'Écu in your glass.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Concordia · Portland · New American
Dame is the rare neighborhood restaurant where the wine list is genuinely worth the trip on its own. Send your friends here — just tell them to skip the safe picks and trust the list.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Buckman · Portland · Russian/Eastern European
Kachka is the best argument in Portland for drinking wines you've never heard of — the list is adventurous, the staff backs it up, and the food was built for exactly these bottles. Send every curious wine drinker you know.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Highland Street · Worcester · Seafood
The Sole Proprietor is a reliable, crowd-pleasing list that does exactly what a classic seafood institution should — it just won't thrill anyone looking for adventure or a fair deal on the big names. Order the oysters, pick the DuMol, and leave the Opus One for someone else's expense account.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Riverside · Riverside · Seafood
Red Lobster Riverside isn't a wine destination — it's a seafood chain with a wine list that exists because it has to. If you're here, drink the Riesling or the Prosecco, enjoy your biscuits, and keep your expectations calibrated accordingly.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Canyon Crest / Riverside Plaza area · Riverside · Seafood
Market Broiler Riverside is a dependable night out for seafood — the wine list won't excite anyone who's been paying attention, but it won't embarrass you either. Send a friend here for dinner without hesitation; just don't tell them to geek out on the wine program.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.