Serious Old-World Pours at a Waterfront Oyster Bar
Waterfront · Burlington · Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 23, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Original Skiff + Oyster’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
You're standing at a waterfront oyster bar in Burlington, Vermont, and the wine list has Domaine Huet and Marcel Giraudon Aligoté on it. That's not what you expect, and that's exactly the point. Whoever built this list was paying attention.
For a list this compact, the geographic range punches well above its weight — France, Spain, Portugal, California, and Italy all represented without feeling scattered. The real story is the France-forward lean: Muscadet from Chéreau Carré, a pétillant brut from Huet in Vouvray, and a Burgundy Aligoté from Marcel Giraudon are not wines you stumble into at a seafood shack on Lake Champlain. The Iberian wing holds up too — Avinyó Cava and a Vinho Verde from Brisa Suave give the list a coastal, briny sympathy that makes sense with the menu. The California section is lighter and includes two Delta 'Original Skiff' label bottles, which suggest a house-program relationship worth watching.
We don't have a confirmed by-the-glass count, but the list is tight enough that a good portion of it is likely available by the pour. If the Chéreau Carré Muscadet or the Brisa Suave Vinho Verde are on the glass menu, order one immediately — both are tailor-made for oysters and almost certainly priced to move.
Brisa Suave Loureiro/Arinto Vinho Verde — null
Vinho Verde is almost always a steal in restaurant settings — high acid, low ABV, and made for shellfish. Brisa Suave is a clean, citrus-driven producer in a category that rarely gets marked up aggressively. With oysters on the menu, this is the move.
Marcel Giraudon Aligoté Burgundy
Most people at an oyster bar are reaching for Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, and they're going to walk right past the Aligoté. That's a mistake. Giraudon's Burgundy Aligoté is crisp, mineral, and has a nervy lemon-pith quality that's genuinely one of the best white wine companions to raw shellfish. Order this and feel quietly superior.
Fess Parker Chardonnay Santa Barbara
Not a bad wine, but it's the odd one out on this list — a broader, riper California Chardonnay that doesn't have the same coastal logic as everything else here. You can find Fess Parker at a lot of restaurants. You can't find Domaine Huet Pétillant at a lot of restaurants. Make the better call.
Chéreau Carré 'Brut Orgueil' Melon de Bourgogne Muscadet + Fresh oysters on the half shell
This is textbook for a reason. Muscadet sur lie has a salinity and lean minerality that mirrors the brine of a fresh oyster without competing with it. Chéreau Carré is one of the reliable names in the appellation. If you're ordering a dozen on the half shell and you don't grab this bottle, we genuinely don't know what to tell you.
The Bottom Line
Original Skiff is a waterfront oyster spot with a wine list that has no business being this interesting — and that's a compliment. If you're in Burlington and care about what's in your glass, this place deserves a detour.
Waterfront · Burlington · Craft Brewery with Bar Snacks
Foam is a brewery first, but the wine program punches way above its weight class — it's small, local, and priced like they actually want you to drink it. If you're on Burlington's waterfront and want something interesting in your glass that isn't a hazy IPA, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Burlington · New American with Vegan Options
The Daily Planet isn't a wine destination, but it has the instincts of one — a thoughtful natural wine pick, Monday half-price bottles, and fair pricing in a casual room that doesn't take itself too seriously. Send a friend here on a Monday and tell them to ask about the orange wine.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown · Burlington · New American Bistro
The Gryphon is a reliable neighborhood bistro with a wine list that matches its ambitions exactly: familiar, functional, and forgettable. Come for the burgers and brick walls, but don't expect the wine to be the highlight of your night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Burlington · Neapolitan wood-fired pizza and Italian cuisine
Pizzeria Verità isn't trying to be a wine destination and it doesn't need to be — it's a smart, Italy-focused list with honest markups and a few genuinely interesting bottles tucked in among the crowd-pleasers. Go for the pizza, order the Nebbiolo or the Cirò, and leave happy.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Church Street Marketplace · Burlington · Upscale American Steakhouse
EB Strong's has a wine list that does the job well and occasionally surprises you — especially if you look past the Caymus and dig into the European picks. Wednesday's half-price bottle program makes it one of the better wine-value nights in Burlington, full stop.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Downtown Waterfront · Burlington · Seasonal New American, farm-to-table
Hen of the Wood Burlington is the rare restaurant where the wine list is as considered as the food, and that's saying something when the kitchen is this good. If you're driving through Vermont and care about what's in your glass, this is worth a reservation.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
· Toledo · Seafood
Real Seafood Company clearly puts its energy into the kitchen, and the wine list reflects exactly how much attention is left over — which is almost none. Order the Rotari if you want bubbles, or honestly, just get a cocktail and move on.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Carmel · Carmel By The Sea · Seafood
Catch is a dependable wine stop for a seafood dinner in Carmel — nothing here will disappoint you, but nothing will surprise you either. If you go in with calibrated expectations and order the Schramsberg with your crab, you'll leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Hood River · Hood River · Seafood
Votum is operating a world-class wine program in a town most people only stop through on the way to a hike — the depth of this cellar belongs in a major city restaurant, and the sommelier presence means you're not navigating it alone. The markups on the prestige bottles will sting, but find your entry point and this list rewards serious attention.
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
