Argentina meets Oregon over open fire
Eliot · Portland · Argentine-inspired wood-fired grilling · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Ox Restaurant’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 Ox reads like a road map drawn by someone who actually knows Argentina — not just Malbec-as-a-category, but specific producers, specific valleys, specific intentions. It's refreshingly focused without feeling narrow, and the Oregon section earns its place rather than just waving the home-state flag. This is a list built around what's on the grill, and that coherence shows.
Argentina anchors everything here, and it's done right — you've got Achaval Ferrer and Clos de los Siete for the crowd, Zuccardi Valle de Uco for the curious, and Chacra's Patagonian Pinot Noir for the person at the table who wants to go somewhere unexpected. Spain rounds out the Old World presence with enough variety to keep things interesting, and Oregon bottles show up with the kind of local credibility you'd expect from a restaurant that takes its sourcing seriously. The 100-150 bottle range hits a sweet spot: deep enough to reward exploration, focused enough that you're not drowning in choices. The main gap is a thinner showing from the rest of South America and virtually nothing from the Southern Hemisphere outside Argentina.
Ten to sixteen options by the glass is a genuinely solid program — that's not a token list, that's a real selection. Glass pours run $13-$20, which is fair for Portland in 2024 and reflects the quality level of what's being poured. We'd like to see more rotation to keep regulars engaged, but what's here covers the bases without being predictable.
Viña Cobos Felino Cabernet Sauvignon — $40
Cobos is one of Mendoza's most respected names, and the Felino entry point consistently overdelivers for its price. At the lower end of Ox's bottle range, this is serious Cabernet for not-serious money — especially next to a wood-fired cut of beef.
Chacra Pinot Noir Patagonia
Most people scanning this list zero in on Malbec and never look up. That's a mistake. Chacra's Patagonian Pinot is one of Argentina's most compelling wines — cool-climate, precise, and nothing like what the table next to you ordered. It's the bottle that makes you look smart.
Clos de los Siete Malbec
Michel Rolland's big-tent Malbec project is fine — it's just not interesting, and at a restaurant with Zuccardi and Achaval Ferrer on the same list, spending your dollars here is leaving flavor and story on the table.
Achaval Ferrer Malbec + Asado Argentino
This is the pairing that the list was basically designed around. Achaval Ferrer's Malbec has the weight and dark fruit to stand up to the char and fat of the asado, but enough structure that it doesn't just collapse into the meat. It's the obvious call — and the obvious call is correct.
The Bottom Line
Ox is doing the work on wine that most wood-fired meat spots never bother with — a focused, well-sourced list with a sommelier who can actually navigate it. If you're eating here and not drinking Argentine wine, you're leaving the best part of the experience on the table.
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Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
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Small but Thoughtful
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Basic Stemmed
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Proper
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Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
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Proper
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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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
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