Salem's Quiet Overachiever Hiding in Plain Sight
· Salem · Wine Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 23, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Santiam Wine & Bistro’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Twenty-three bottles and every single one of them available by the glass — that's the whole pitch at Santiam, and honestly, it works. This isn't a list trying to impress you with length; it's trying to let you drink exactly what you want without committing to a full bottle. For Salem, Oregon, that's a genuinely refreshing approach.
The list punches above its weight for a 23-label program. You've got Roederer Estate sparkling, Laroche Chablis, Raimbault Sancerre, and Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc covering the Old World and New Zealand flanks, while Flâneur Pinot Noir and Alexana Pinot Gris give Oregon a proper seat at the table. The red side is thinner — Canvasback Cab, Emmolo Merlot, Tyrus Evan Red Blend, and Tait Ball Buster Shiraz cover the bases without much adventure — but the whites and bubbles show real editorial intent. There are gaps (no Italian, no Rhône, nothing under $27 on the bottle side beyond the house pours), but for a small-town wine bar, the curation is thoughtful.
The entire list is by the glass, which is the whole point. Prices run $6.75 to $14, with the Segura Cava and Lunetta Prosecco splits acting as low-commitment entry points at $7 a pop. That spread means you can build a proper tasting flight without a calculator and without remorse.
Sweet Cheeks Riesling 2019 — $27
The cheapest bottle on the list and genuinely one of the more interesting pours — Sweet Cheeks is a solid Willamette producer and a 2019 Riesling with some age on it at $27 is a straight-up deal. This is the bottle to order if you want to look like you know what you're doing.
Tait Ball Buster Shiraz 2019
Most people at a Pacific Northwest wine bar are going to reach for Pinot Noir and ignore the Australian Shiraz on principle. That's a mistake. Tait makes a dense, serious Barossa wine that stands out in a lineup this size, and at $32 a bottle it's one of the more distinctive things on the list.
Canvasback Cabernet 2019
At $50 it's the priciest bottle on the list, and while Canvasback is a respectable Red Mountain Cab, you're paying a premium here for a wine that retails around $25-30. The markup is real and the surrounding context — a 23-bottle list in Salem — doesn't justify splurging upward.
Laroche Chablis 2023 + Cheese Board
Laroche makes a clean, precise Chablis that cuts through richness and lifts mild, creamy cheeses without overwhelming them. At a wine-bar-first spot like Santiam where a cheese board is the natural anchor, this is the move — classic pairing, fairly priced at $46, and it'll make everything on the board taste better.
The Bottom Line
Santiam is quietly doing something right in a market that doesn't always demand it — a focused, all-by-the-glass list with fair prices and a few genuinely interesting picks. If you're in Salem and you care about what's in your glass, this is your spot.
· Salem · Steakhouse
Best Little Roadhouse isn't going to make a wine lover's shortlist, but it's not ripping anyone off either — fair prices, local representation, and everything available by the glass makes this a solid steakhouse wine program that doesn't embarrass itself. Come for the steak, order the WVV Pinot, and leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Salem · New American
Ledger's wine list is exactly five bottles and every one of them is sweet or fortified — which sounds like a disaster but somehow works as a tightly curated dessert wine program. Don't come here for a Pinot Noir, but do linger after dinner with a Cerdon or a 20-year Tawny and you'll leave quietly impressed.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Gilbert · Wine Bar
Divided Vine earns the Wild Card badge because it's doing something genuinely interesting in a market that doesn't have many wine-first spots worth seeking out — Arizona focus, rotating selections, staff that apparently knows the list, and a happy hour program that runs most of the week. We'd send a curious, open-minded friend here without hesitation; just go in ready to ask questions and let the staff point the way.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Acceptable
· Newark · Wine Bar
Enoteca Wine Bar earns its Wild Card badge by being exactly the kind of place Newark shouldn't be sleeping on — a focused Italian and Spanish program in a room built for lingering, at price points that don't punish you for ordering a second bottle. We'd want a closer look at the full list and glass pours before calling it a destination, but if you're in the neighborhood and want wine with your wood-fired pizza, this is a smarter bet than most.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Scranton · Wine Bar
The Loft earns its Wild Card badge by doing something genuinely uncommon in Scranton: building a wine bar with a real point of view, even if the public-facing details don't yet let us verify every bottle or price. If you're in downtown Scranton and want wine over cocktails, this is your best legitimate option — just go in curious, ask the staff what's open, and be willing to try something you wouldn't normally order.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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