Pacific Seafood Meets Old World Surprise
Capitol Hill · Seattle · Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 14, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Shaker + Spear’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 Shaker + Spear doesn't shout — it whispers, and sometimes that's more interesting. Tucked inside the Kimpton Palladian, the room is all warm brass and weathered wood, which sets a mood that the wine list quietly tries to match. What we find is compact but deliberate: a handful of bottles that clearly reflect someone with a point of view, even if that vision isn't always fully realized.
The list leans into a Northwest-meets-Old World axis that actually makes sense for a serious seafood spot in Seattle. You've got local heroes like the 2021 Avennia Sauvignon Blanc sitting alongside a 2019 Domaine de l'Idylle from Savoie — a region most Seattle diners couldn't find on a map, which makes its presence here genuinely exciting. The 2018 l'Ameillaud Côtes du Rhône holds down the red end with Grenache-forward approachability, and the 2019 Stewart 'Big Fire' Pinot Noir keeps the crowd-pleaser crowd happy. The list isn't deep, but the curation suggests someone gave a damn.
Glass pour details are limited from what we could confirm, but the producers represented on the list — Avennia, Domaine de l'Idylle — suggest the by-the-glass program has more ambition than your average hotel restaurant. We'd push staff to walk you through what's pouring before you default to the obvious. Rotation cadence is unclear, which is the one frustration here.
2021 Avennia Sauvignon Blanc — null
Avennia is one of Washington's best small producers, full stop. Their Sauvignon Blanc punches well above whatever they're charging for it here, and it's the most honest expression of Pacific Northwest terroir on the list. If you're eating oysters or halibut, this is your wine.
2019 Domaine de l'Idylle Savoie
Savoie whites are criminally underordered everywhere, and this one is no exception. Crisp alpine character, high acid, and a mineral edge that's basically built for shellfish. Most tables will walk right past it. Don't be most tables.
2019 Stewart 'Big Fire' Pinot Noir
Stewart is a perfectly fine Columbia Valley producer, but 'Big Fire' is their entry-level label — you can find it at most grocery stores for well under $20. At restaurant markup inside a Kimpton hotel, you're almost certainly paying a significant premium for something that doesn't warrant it. Save the budget for the Avennia.
2019 Domaine de l'Idylle Savoie + Oysters
Savoie whites and raw shellfish are a textbook match — the wine's electric acidity and chalky minerality mirror the brininess of fresh Pacific oysters without fighting them. It's the kind of pairing that makes you feel smart without trying.
The Bottom Line
Shaker + Spear is a hotel restaurant that's trying harder than it has to, and the wine list reflects that — small, opinionated, with genuine bright spots if you know where to look. We'd send a curious friend here, especially if they're willing to let the Savoie do the talking.
Downtown · Seattle · Brazilian Churrascaria
The real headline here is the half-price South American bottles — available Monday through Thursday, all day, on bottles under $150 — which turns a polished steakhouse into a legitimately reasonable wine night. The list won't excite anyone who came for the wine, but if you came for the meat and want a solid regional bottle at a fair price, this deal is worth planning around.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Active Program
Acceptable
Ballard · Seattle · Italian
A short, Italian-leaning list with most of its bottles in the Old World red section. Order the $11 Montepulciano by the glass, or the $69 Travaglini Gattinara if you want to splurge a little, and confirm prices on the day. This unrated guide covers the posted wine menus, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Seattle · Pacific Northwest / New American
A hotel wine list with a Pacific Northwest page up front, Champagne, Bordeaux and Italian sections behind it, and a separate glass list on the drink menu. Start with the $12 Treveri Blanc de Blancs at happy hour or the Mark Ryan 'Goldfinch Tavern Red Blend', and check the current list before you go, since the restaurant says menus are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list and drink menu, not service, storage or markups.
Lake Union · Seattle · Steakhouse
A long, Northwest-first steakhouse list with plenty of bottles under $100 as well as a $300-to-$550 tier of Leonetti and Quilceda Creek Cabernets. Start with the $20 Five Star Cellars “Prime” Cabernet by the glass, or the same wine at $55 on the bottle pages, and confirm prices because the list says vintages and availability change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Capitol Hill · Seattle · Italian
An all-Italian list that is easy to navigate: 11 wines by the glass from $13 to $30, a bottle list sorted by region, and $8 house wine during Apericena. Order the Soave at $13 or the $17 Kerner by the glass, or the Villa Venti Sangiovese with the tagliatelle al ragu, and confirm prices because the page says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Central District · Seattle · Seafood
A mostly natural, mostly French bottle list that stretches from $60 Muscadet to a $455 Champagne, with a deep run of Jura, Savoie and Loire bottles. Start with the $60 Hautplanty Muscadet or the $72 Laurent Herlin Cabernet Franc, and ask about the list’s ◆ and ◉ key if you want help choosing between classic and wild. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks selection, not service, storage or markups.
· Flowery Branch · Seafood
Fish Tales is on Lake Lanier, which should be a natural setting for a thoughtful selection of cold, crisp whites. Instead, the wine program is a single bottle of heavily buttered California Chardonnay. We'd recommend sticking to whatever's on tap and revisiting the wine situation if anything changes.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Perimeter Center · Dunwoody · Seafood
Louisiana Bistreaux is genuinely worth visiting for the food — the seafood is the draw, full stop. But if wine is part of your evening, don't come here expecting the list to match the kitchen's ambition. Order the crawfish ravioli, get a cocktail or a cold beer, and save the wine exploration for somewhere that's put in the work.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Cartersville · Seafood
Maine Street Coastal Cuisine is a seafood spot that doesn't take wine seriously, and the five-label, all-$7, no-producer list makes that clear without apology. If you're here for the food, drink the cocktails or crack a beer — the wine list isn't worth the conversation.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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