Seven Bottles Does Not a Wine Program Make
· Jersey City · Omakase · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · October 5, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Sushi by Bou Jersey City’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Seven wines. That's the whole list. At an omakase concept where the food is doing serious, deliberate work, the wine program reads like it was assembled at the last minute from a distributor's introductory catalog. The mismatch between the kitchen's ambition and the cellar's effort is hard to ignore.
The list is seven bottles deep and leans almost entirely on mass-market, widely distributed labels — 13 Celsius Sauvignon Blanc, Running Wild Chardonnay, Imagery Pinot Noir, Tribute Cabernet Sauvignon. These are grocery store staples, not selections that belong alongside a chef-driven omakase. The bubbly side is more interesting — Hampton Water Rosé and Veuve Clicquot are crowd-pleasers with real brand recognition, and a Dom Pérignon 2013 lands like a splurge option aimed squarely at celebration tables. But there's no regional coherence, no nod to Japan, no grower Champagne, no Chablis or Riesling — the wines that actually make sense alongside raw fish are entirely absent.
By-the-glass options are not documented on the sourced menu, so we can't tell you what's available as a pour versus bottle-only. That opacity alone is a minor red flag — a list this short should at least be clearly organized. If you're sitting down to omakase, ask upfront what you can order by the glass before committing.
The Bottom Line
The food concept at Sushi by Bou deserves a wine list that actually thinks about raw fish, delicate flavors, and how wine interacts with a progression of courses — and this list doesn't come close to that. Seven bottles, mostly supermarket staples, with no pricing transparency and no clear by-the-glass program. If you're going for the omakase experience, consider asking about corkage or ordering Champagne and leaving it at that.
· Jersey City · New American
Amanda's isn't going to make a wine lover's heart race, but it's doing the honest work: fair prices, enough variety to match a proper New American menu, and a by-the-glass program deep enough to drink your way through a multi-course meal without getting stuck. If you're in Jersey City and want a reliable bottle without a markup argument, this list delivers.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Jersey City · American Bistro
Court Street's wine list is functional and fair — no embarrassing markups, a couple of genuinely good pours hiding among the Coastal Ridge, and glass prices that won't wreck your dinner tab. It's not a destination for wine lovers, but it's a perfectly fine neighborhood spot where you can drink the Rioja or the Sancerre and have a good night. Send your friends here for dinner; just steer them away from the mystery Champagne.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Jersey City · Jersey City · Italian
Il Tavolo isn't trying to be a wine destination, and that's fine — it's a reliable Italian spot with fair pours, sensible pricing, and enough range to keep the table happy. If you're in Jersey City and want a glass of Chianti that won't cost you a car payment, this is a safe and honest bet.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Jersey City · New American
Anthony David's wine list is reliable without being exciting — it does the job for a casual dinner without making you work too hard or feel gouged at the lower price points. The by-the-glass program is legitimately strong for a list this size, and the Crémant de Loire is a smart pour. If you're a wine-first diner, this isn't your destination, but if you're coming for a neighborhood meal and want a decent glass to go with it, you'll leave satisfied.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Jersey City · Cocktail Bar and New American
Dullboy is a cocktail bar first and a wine program second, but the eight pours it stocks are more considered than anything you'd expect given the setting. If you're in Jersey City and want a glass of something genuinely interesting — not just Malbec or Pinot Grigio — this list earns a detour. Wild Card badge, fully deserved.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Jersey City · Jersey City · Wine Bar and New American
Grand Vin is doing the right things for a neighborhood wine bar — honest markup, a deep by-the-glass program, and a few quietly good bottles tucked into an otherwise crowd-pleasing list. It's not the destination you plan a special night around, but it's absolutely the place you walk into without a reservation and leave happier than you arrived.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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