Chainsaw Charm With a Decent Pour
Tigard · Portland · Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Updated September 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 10, 2026
RagingWine reviewed McCormick & Schmick's Grill’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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.
Kerns · Portland · American
Noble Rot is the rare restaurant wine program that would hold up as a standalone wine bar — deep list, sharp staff, fair prices, and a view that makes the whole experience feel earned. Send your friends here. Send yourself here.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Northeast Portland · Portland · New American
OK Omens is doing something genuinely uncommon: running a focused, adventurous wine program in a neighborhood restaurant without making it feel precious or intimidating. If you're the kind of person who wants to drink something you've never heard of and trust that the staff knows why it's there, send yourself here immediately.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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
· Sonoma · Seafood
Willi's is a wild card in the best sense — a casual Sonoma seafood bar running a wine list that belongs in a much more serious room. The by-the-glass depth alone is worth showing up for, and the pricing is honest by the region's standards. If you're anywhere near Healdsburg, order the Assyrtiko and thank us later.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Seafood
The Marshall Store earns its reputation as a low-key, scenic spot for fresh West Coast oysters and smoked salmon — and if that's your mission, it delivers. But the wine program is effectively an afterthought: undocumented, uncurated, and not a reason to visit. Bring a bottle from one of the Healdsburg producers down the road, check the corkage policy at the door, and spend your energy on the food.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Seafood
Nick's Cove earns a Wild Card badge because it's doing something specific and doing it with conviction: a seafood restaurant on the Sonoma Coast that built its list around sparkling wine and Chardonnay is a confident, logical bet. The markups get steep as you climb the ladder — Cristal at $750 and Dom Pérignon at $650 are priced for occasion, not for value — but there are real finds at the $80-$155 range if you know where to look. Come for the Failla, stay for the Radio-Coteau.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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