Two Local Producers, All the Ambition
· Kennewick · Wine bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 6, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Purple Star Wines Urban Wine Bar’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Fifteen bottles, two producers, zero apology — Purple Star Wines runs a tight ship in Kennesaw and doesn't try to be something it's not. The list reads like a focused tasting flight rather than a traditional wine bar menu, which is either charming or limiting depending on what you came for. If you wanted a Barolo or a Willamette Pinot, you're in the wrong room.
Everything on the list comes from two Washington state producers: Purple Star and Muret-Gaston, and they cover more ground than you'd expect from 15 labels. The Purple Star side handles the accessible end — Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Rosé, Malbec, and Cab all land between $20 and $30 a bottle — while Muret-Gaston stretches into genuinely interesting territory with a Picpoul, a Petit Verdot, a Touriga Nacional Port, and a Solera-style red blend. That Solera entry is a curiosity in Washington wine country, and the HOTH Cabernet Sauvignon from 2016 at $80 is clearly the flagship anchor. The gap in regional breadth is real — this is a house-focused list by design — but within that constraint, the range of varieties is surprisingly ambitious.
With 11 of 15 bottles available by the glass, this is essentially a full pour-anything operation. Glass prices run $10–$20, which tracks reasonably against the bottle prices without the usual restaurant markup punishing you for not committing to a full bottle. Rotation appears fixed rather than dynamic, but when your whole list is two producers, you're cycling through the full catalog anyway.
Purple Star Riesling 2022 — $20
At $20 a bottle, a Washington Riesling from a dedicated producer is hard to argue with. It's the kind of wine that reminds you the Columbia Valley can do white varieties well, and at this price it's a low-risk, high-reward order.
Muret-Gaston Picpoul 2023
Picpoul in Washington state is a rare find — most people walk right past it for the Chardonnay or the Cab. It's a variety built for acid and freshness, and at $32 it's the most intriguing bottle on the list for anyone who actually wants to taste something different.
Muret-Gaston Chardonnay 2020
At $35, it's not egregiously priced, but Chardonnay is the safe default order and there are far more interesting things on this list for the same or less money. Unless Chardonnay is specifically your thing, the Picpoul or the Blanc will reward more curiosity.
Muret-Gaston Touriga Nacional Port 2018 + Cheese board
A Touriga Nacional Port is made for sipping alongside a cheese selection — the wine's dark fruit intensity and tannic grip cut through rich, aged cheeses in exactly the way a dessert wine should. It's the move for ending a visit on the right note.
The Bottom Line
Purple Star is a one-of-a-kind local wine bar that bets everything on two producers and mostly wins — especially if you lean into the Muret-Gaston side of the list where things get genuinely interesting. It's not a destination for wine breadth, but it is a destination for Washington wine with a point of view.
Columbia River Waterfront / Clover Island · Kennewick · American Grill / Seafood
Sage Port Grille is a reliable PNW wine experience — nothing groundbreaking, but a thoughtfully local list served with a river view that does most of the work. Send a friend here for a bottle of L'Ecole with salmon and they'll thank you.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Kennewick / Clearwater Ave · Kennewick · American, Bar
Magill's isn't a wine destination, but it's a neighborhood spot that actually tried with its list — local producers, a thoughtful rosé pick, and a Wednesday deal that makes the steep everyday markups irrelevant. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Mourvèdre rosé, and stop overthinking it.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Columbia Center area · Kennewick · Steakhouse
Outback's wine list exists to check a box, not to elevate your dinner. If you're in Kennewick and want to actually drink well with your steak, you're a short drive from some of Washington's best wine country — don't let this list be your introduction to it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Columbia Center / N Columbia Center Blvd · Kennewick · Seafood
Red Lobster's wine list exists to give you something to drink while you wait for the Cheddar Bay Biscuits — and that's about as far as its ambition goes. Order the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling, enjoy the biscuits, and don't look at the list too hard.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Kennewick · Kennewick · Pub / Gastropub
The Crown Pub is a genuine wild card — a Columbia Basin pub that somehow assembled a credible New Zealand sparkling and Central Otago program worth talking about. The markups aren't a gift, but the list has a real identity, and that counts for a lot in a market where most wine lists are an afterthought.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Columbia Center / N Columbia Center Blvd · Kennewick · Italian
Olive Garden Kennewick is not a wine destination — it's a place you drink whatever keeps the breadsticks company. If someone in your group is serious about wine, order the Orvieto and manage your expectations; everyone else should probably just get the Sangria.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Georgetown · Wine bar
Wine Sensation is a legit find for Georgetown — a small list that's been curated with actual curiosity, priced fairly, and built around the by-the-glass experience. If you're passing through Central Texas and need a wine stop, this is your place.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
San Francisco · San Francisco · Wine bar
Fig & Thistle is for people who trust a short menu built by someone with a point of view — thirteen bottles, all pouring, all worth talking about. If you need a fallback Cab or a recognizable label to feel safe, this isn't your spot. If you don't, this absolutely is.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Francisco · Wine bar
Frenchie is a small list doing an outsized job — curated with genuine curiosity, priced without greed, and diverse enough to reward anyone willing to order past the familiar. If you're in San Francisco and you want a glass of something you'd never find at a chain wine bar, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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