Hood River's Pizza Joint That Actually Cares About Wine
· Hood River · Wood-fired pizza · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Solstice Wood Fire Pizza - Cafe & Bar’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
A wood-fired pizza spot in Hood River with a 19-label list that reads more like a carefully curated wine bar than a casual pizza joint — that's not what you expect walking in. There's a clear Pacific Northwest bias here, which makes sense given the address, but the depth of the local producer game is genuinely impressive. Skin-contact Riesling next to a non-alcoholic sparkling option next to a Columbia Valley Syrah? We're paying attention.
The list leans hard into Pacific Northwest producers — Mt. Hood Winery, COR Cellars, Phelps Creek, Syncline, Savage Grace, and Domaine Pouillon all show up, which is a legitimate who's-who of Columbia Gorge and Washington wine. There's also some range: Lushington Wine Project's Skin Contact Riesling signals someone put actual thought into this, and the COR Cellars Tocai Friulano 2022 is the kind of oddball grape you'd expect to find at a wine bar, not a pizza counter. Reds cover Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Merlot, and a Syncline Subduction blend, so you're not stuck choosing between two tired options. The list is small but it doesn't waste a single slot on filler.
Ten of nineteen labels are available by the glass, which is a strong ratio for a list this size — and the pricing holds steady between $12 and $14 a pour. The Freetime Wine pours (a Bright Pinot Noir and a White Pinot Noir) are interesting additions that give the glass menu some personality beyond the obvious crowd-pleasers. Oddbird Blanc de Blancs at $17 per bottle covers the non-alcoholic base, which is worth calling out as a thoughtful inclusion.
The Bottom Line
Solstice Wood Fire Pizza has no business having a wine list this thoughtful — and that's a compliment. The Pacific Northwest producer focus is genuine, the glass-pour options are generous, and the pricing is fair across the board. If you're passing through Hood River and want to drink something more interesting than house red with your pizza, this is the move.
· Hood River · Winery tasting room
Analemma earns its Wild Card badge by doing something most Oregon producers won't: planting Mencía and Grenache in the Gorge and committing to it fully. The list is short, but every bottle has a reason to exist. If you're driving through Hood River and want to taste something that doesn't feel like every other Pacific Northwest tasting room, this is your stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Hood River · Winery tasting room
Marchesi Vineyards is doing something genuinely unusual in Oregon wine country — growing Italian grapes with seriousness and selling the results at prices that feel almost charitable. The Barbera lineup alone is worth the detour to Hood River, and the top of the list caps at $45. If you're driving through the Gorge and want to drink something you won't find anywhere else, stop here.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Hood River · Brewpub
pFriem is one of the best brewpubs in the Pacific Northwest, and the wine list knows its role — it's backup, not the headliner. If you're the wine person in a group of beer people, you'll survive and probably drink something decent from the region. If wine is your whole reason for going out, Hood River has better options for that and pFriem has better options for you — namely, the beer.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Hood River · Winery tasting room
Idiot's Grace isn't competing with anyone — it's running its own race with a lineup of varieties that reads like a winemaker's personal obsession list, priced like they actually want you to drink it. If you're in Hood River and you care about wine that doesn't follow the script, this is your stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Hood River · Winery tasting room
Phelps Creek is a single-producer tasting room with serious range inside its self-imposed borders — especially if Pinot Noir in its many expressions is your thing. We can't speak to pricing or food without more data, but the depth of the vineyard-block lineup alone makes this worth the stop if you're driving through Hood River. Come curious, come patient, and let them walk you through the blocks.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Hood River · Brewery and Pizza
Double Mountain is a legitimately great brewery with serious pizza — the New Haven-style pies alone are worth the trip to Hood River. But the wine program doesn't earn a second thought, and in a region this wine-rich, that's a real shame. Order a pint, eat the Truffle Shuffle, and save your wine curiosity for one of the Gorge's actual tasting rooms down the road.
Grocery Store
Steep
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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