Lebanon and Georgia in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Inman Square · Boston · Eastern Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Updated July 2026
Reviewed March 24, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Oleana’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Oleana stops you in your tracks — in the best way. You're expecting hummus and Turkish-inflected small plates, and then you see Lebanon, Georgia, Bulgaria, and Hungary sharing real estate with France and Spain. This isn't a list that was assembled by a distributor on autopilot.
Two hundred and fifty labels with a genuine commitment to the Eastern Mediterranean is not something you find in Cambridge, or frankly anywhere outside of a few specialty wine bars. Lebanese producers like Chateau Musar and Heya Wines anchor the list alongside Georgian naturals and Greek bottles you won't recognize but absolutely should. Spain shows up smartly — old vine Macabeo from Aragón isn't a category most Boston restaurants even know exists. The gaps are minor: if you're hunting for big Napa Cabernet or a deep Burgundy cellar, Oleana is not your place, and that is entirely the point.
Ten to sixteen options by the glass is a healthy pour program, with pricing that starts at $6 and tops out around $8 — genuinely rare restraint in a city where $18 BTG pours have become standard. The selection rotates enough to reward repeat visitors, and the sommelier on staff means what's in those glasses was chosen with intention rather than convenience.
Berbera 'Matilde' 1994, Diloud — $30
A 1994 with a retail tag of $25 sitting at $30 on a restaurant list is almost an act of charity. That's a 20% markup on a wine with three decades of bottle age — drink it before they realize what they're doing.
2006 Chateau Musar 'Blanc,' Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
Most tables blow past this one because aged Lebanese white wine sounds like a riddle. It isn't. Musar Blanc is one of the stranger, more compelling wines in the world — Obaideh and Merwah grapes with nearly two decades of age producing something oxidative and electric that you simply cannot find at the table next to you.
Lambrusco Bianco NV
At $7 a glass it's not highway robbery, but a 40% markup on a $5 retail bottle of NV Lambrusco Bianco is the one place the list phones it in. Nothing wrong with the wine itself — it just doesn't belong in the same conversation as everything else here.
Old Vines Macabeo, Frontonio 'Microcósmico,' Aragón, Spain + Sultan's Delight
Sultan's Delight — braised lamb over smoky eggplant purée — wants something with texture and a little weight, but not so much fruit that it buries the spice. Old vine Macabeo from Aragón brings a waxy, almost lanolin richness with enough acidity to cut through the lamb fat and stay out of the way of Ana Sortun's spicing.
The Bottom Line
Oleana's wine list is the rare case of a restaurant's food and wine programs being genuinely built for each other — the Eastern Mediterranean focus isn't a gimmick, it's a conviction. Send your adventurous friends here; tell the timid ones the cocktails are great.
· Boston · Steakhouse
The Palm Boston's wine list reads like someone handed a natural wine buyer a steakhouse budget and said 'do something interesting' — and they did, with six well-chosen bottles at prices that won't wreck your evening. It's too small to call it a destination for wine, but it's too good to ignore if you're already here for dinner. Ask about what's available by the glass and go straight for the Crochet Sancerre.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Seaport · Boston · Upscale American Steakhouse
Eddie Merlot's is a reliable date-night or business-dinner destination in the Seaport, and the wine program is functional enough to get the job done — but markup at this category of steakhouse tends to run steep, and the list probably isn't going to surprise you. If you're here for the Prime ribeye, order a glass of whatever Cab is open and don't overthink it; if you're here specifically to drink well, we'd want to see the actual list before making promises.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Back Bay · Boston · Contemporary American with International Influences
Ramsay's Kitchen is a reliable wine stop in the sense that you won't be embarrassed — the sommelier is there, the glassware is fine, and the list covers the bases. But at Back Bay price points with a celebrity premium baked in, you're paying for the room as much as the bottle. Go in with a food-first mindset, lean on the sommelier for guidance, and temper expectations on getting a steal.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North End · Boston · Italian, Steakhouse
A broad list with 29 glass pours, Italian and American bottle sections, and a From the Vault section that goes well into four figures. Start with the 2021 Mauro Molino Barolo at $26 a glass or the Batasiolo Gavi di Gavi at $15, and confirm vintages, since the list says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Back Bay · Boston · Seafood
A 12-page wine book that runs from $12 glasses to a $945 Opus One, with six- and nine-ounce pours for the still wines by the glass. Start with the $12 six-ounce Foral Alvarinho, or order the $59 Sur Lie Muscadet by the bottle, and confirm vintages before you go. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Back Bay · Boston · Contemporary Italian
An Italian-led list with bottles into the thousands and a glass page that gives you a way in. Order the $33 Giacosa Fratelli Barolo 2019 by the glass, or step up to a Coravin pour like the $54 Patrizia Cencioni Brunello di Montalcino 2018, and confirm prices before you go. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
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
