Better wine list than the name suggests
Broadway · Newport · American bar & grill / pub fare · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Pour Judgement Bar & Grill’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Pour Judgement, you expect a beer list that goes on for days and a wine list that's an afterthought — and the beer part is true. But the wine list earns a second look: twelve labels, all available by the glass, spanning four continents without a single Yellow Tail in sight. For a Broadway pub in Newport, that's not nothing.
Twelve wines is a tight roster, but whoever built this list made real choices. There's a Bourgogne Pinot Noir from Thevenet & Fils sitting next to a Rhône blend from Château de Roquefort, an Ostatu Crianza from Rioja, and a Mosel Riesling from Clean Slate — that's a more interesting cross-section than most casual spots twice this size. The California contingent is predictable but competent: Raeburn out of Russian River and Smith & Hook Cab do what they're supposed to do. The main gap is a lack of depth — no older vintages, no second labels to explore, nothing for the adventurous drinker who wants to go deep. But for a pub focused on burgers and wings, the range is genuinely respectable.
All twelve bottles are available by the glass, which we appreciate — no guessing what's open, no half-dead bottles from last week's Tuesday rush. Pricing runs $10–$15 a glass, which is honest money for Newport where restaurants regularly charge $16 for something worse. The rotation doesn't appear to change much seasonally, so don't expect a summer skin-contact surprise, but what's there is poured consistently.
Thevenet & Fils 'Les Clos' Pinot Noir, Bourgogne 2023 — $15/glass
A legit Burgundy — not a Bourgogne-in-name-only — at the top of their glass price range still beats paying $18+ for the same pour at a wine bar down Thames Street. This is the wine that makes the list worth taking seriously.
Château de Roquefort 'Les Mûres', Rhône Valley 2021
Most people at a pub order the Cab or the Zin and move on. The Roquefort Rhône blend is the sleeper here — a southern Rhône with some actual structure that'll hold up to a burger far better than a fruit-forward California red. Most tables walk right past it.
Coppola Prosecco DOC Italy NV
The Francis Ford Coppola wine brand is fine, but at $10 a glass you can do better in the sparkling department almost anywhere. This is the wine equivalent of a cover band — recognizable, harmless, and not particularly interesting.
Ostatu 'Crianza' Rioja, Spain 2021 + Burger
Tempranillo-based Rioja Crianza has the acidity and red fruit to cut through a beef patty without drowning the flavors, and the earthy backbone handles whatever char comes off the grill. It's the most food-friendly red on the list and the one that rewards ordering food alongside it.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Pour Judgement is a pub that happens to have a thoughtful little wine list — fair prices, real producers, and no obvious embarrassments. We'd send a friend here without hesitation, especially if that friend wanted a Bourgogne Pinot with their burger and didn't want to explain themselves.
Outskirts / North End · Newport · Farm-to-Table / Winery Restaurant
Brix isn't trying to be a destination wine list — it's trying to be a great ambassador for one vineyard's work, and it mostly succeeds. Send your curious friends here; send your Burgundy obsessives somewhere else.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Lower Thames · Newport · Farm-to-Table / New American
TSK is quietly one of the better wine lists in Newport, which is a town that doesn't exactly set a high bar — but this one would hold its own in most cities. If you're eating farm-to-table food and want a bottle that actually matches the kitchen's ethos, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lower Thames / Residential Edge · Newport · Classic Italian
Mamma Luisa isn't a wine destination, but it's a solid, honest Italian list that does right by the food coming out of the kitchen. Send a friend here for a bottle of Barbera and a bowl of homemade pasta and they'll thank you.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lower Thames · Newport · Italian (Apulian/Seafood-Focused)
Vieste isn't a destination wine list, but it's a genuinely honest one — a small, region-focused selection that actually matches the food and the room. Send a friend here if they're curious about Southern Italian grapes and tired of the same ten wines on every Newport menu.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Bannister's Wharf Area · Newport · New American small plates with Mediterranean and raw bar focus
Stoneacre Garden punches above its weight for a patio bar on the Newport waterfront — it's not a destination wine list, but it's a thoughtful one built around the food, and that's rarer than it should be. If you're here for oysters and small plates, you'll drink well without overthinking it.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Bowen's Wharf · Newport · Seafood
The Lobster Bar isn't a wine destination, but it's a perfectly competent list for what the restaurant is — a casual waterfront spot where the lobster is the star. Order the Sancerre, eat the oysters, watch the boats.
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.