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๐ŸŽฒThe Wild Card

Sea Glass

Ocean views, serious California pours, Maine magic

Cape Elizabeth ยท Cape Elizabeth ยท American ยท Visit Website โ†—

date-nightold-world-focussplurge-worthyby-the-glass-hero

Reviewed April 7, 2026

Wingman Metrics

List VarietySolid Range
MarkupFair
GlasswareBasic Stemmed
StaffWilling but Green
Specials & DealsSet & Forget
Storage & TempProper

First Impression

You're sitting inside a coastal Maine inn with the Atlantic doing its thing outside the window, and then the wine list lands โ€” 150-plus bottles deep, anchored by California and France, with a Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator to back it up. It's more serious than the setting lets on. That's a good surprise.

Selection Deep Dive

The list leans hard into California and Burgundy, which turns out to be exactly right for the food coming out of this kitchen. Ridge Monte Bello and Kistler Chardonnay sit at the top end, while Jordan Cab and Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches handle the middle tier without embarrassing themselves. Louis Jadot fills in the French lane credibly. Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir is a smart regional nod โ€” Pacific Northwest sneaking in alongside the French and Californian heavyweights. The gaps are real: no meaningful Southern Hemisphere presence, minimal Italy, and the list won't excite anyone chasing grower Champagne or natural wine โ€” but that's not what this place is going for.

By the Glass

Somewhere between 12 and 20 pours by the glass, which is a solid offering for a coastal New England inn restaurant. Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling showing up on the by-the-glass program is a genuinely smart move given all the seafood on this menu. We'd like to see more rotation, but what's here is well-chosen.

๐Ÿ’ฐBest Value

Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling โ€” $50

Off-dry Washington Riesling at the low end of the price range with the ocean right outside โ€” it's the most versatile pour on the list for a menu built around lobster, scallops, and swordfish. Hard to beat the value here.

๐Ÿ’ŽHidden Gem

Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir

Most people at a coastal Maine spot are reaching for Chardonnay or a big California red, but this Oregon Pinot โ€” Burgundian winemaking applied to Willamette Valley fruit โ€” is the sleeper hit on this list. It bridges the French and American halves of the wine program and holds up beautifully against richer seafood preparations.

โ›”Skip This

Jordan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

Jordan is fine wine, full stop โ€” but it's also widely distributed and easy to find at retail for significantly less than restaurant pricing. You're not discovering anything here, and the markup on a recognizable label like this rarely works in your favor. Spend those dollars on the Ridge Monte Bello instead if you want California Cab.

๐Ÿฝ๏ธPerfect Pairing

Kistler Vineyards Chardonnay + Pan-seared scallops

Kistler is big, structured California Chardonnay with enough weight to stand up to the sear on the scallops and enough acid to cut through whatever butter or cream is involved. This is the kind of pairing that makes the ocean view feel earned.

๐ŸŽฒ The Bottom Line

Sea Glass is a coastal inn restaurant punching well above its category on the wine front โ€” the Wine Spectator credential is legitimate, the California and Burgundy anchors are sound, and the Riesling-forward glass program is tailor-made for Maine seafood. It's not going to blow out a wine obsessive, but for everyone else eating with a view of the Atlantic, this list genuinely delivers.

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