Barolo in Tacoma? Yes, Really.
· Tacoma · Wine bar & bottle shop · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 20, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Tacoma Wine Merchants & Enoteca’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
You open the list expecting a modest bottle shop and instead find three vintages of Bartolo Mascarello Barolo sitting next to a $17 Rosso Conero. This place is either run by someone with very serious taste or someone who got a lucky connect — probably both. The price tags suggest they actually want you to drink the stuff.
The list skews heavily Italian — Sardinian Cannonau, Montefalco Rosso, Freisa from Accornero, a Querciabella Maremma blend — and does it with enough range to keep a nerdy crowd busy for a while. Washington state gets a proper nod too, with Avennia's Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Franc and an Andrew Will Petit Verdot from the same legendary site. The Rhône representation is quietly excellent: Alain Voge Cornas at $60 is a legitimate find, and Thierry Allemand's Cornas at $375 is an aspirational flex that somehow feels at home here. Gaps exist — no white wines appear in this data cut, which is either a separate list or a real oversight — but the reds alone justify the trip.
By-the-glass options aren't confirmed in the available data, which is the one real frustration here. As a hybrid enoteca and bottle shop, it would be a missed opportunity not to pour from the list — but we can't confirm what's open and pouring on any given night. Worth calling ahead.
Azienda Agricola Marchetti Castro di San Silvestro Rosso Conero 2020 — $17
Rosso Conero at $17 is practically a gift. Montepulciano from the Marche coast with real structure and depth — this is a $30+ bottle at any restaurant that's actually thought about its list.
Accornero La Bernardina Freisa 2021
Freisa is one of Piedmont's most underrated grapes — tart, floral, a little wild — and Accornero is exactly the right producer for it. At $25, most people will walk right past this to grab the Barolo. Don't be that person.
Antinori Solaia 2020
At $360, Solaia is a prestige play and a fine wine, but it's also widely available and aggressively marketed. The Allemand Cornas at $375 is rarer, more interesting, and the better story to tell. If you're spending that kind of money here, spend it right.
Arnaldo Caprai Montefalco Rosso Reserva DOC 2021 + Charcuterie board
Sagrantino-driven blends from Caprai have the grip and dark fruit to stand up to cured meats and aged cheeses — and at $58 it's the sweet spot on this list between everyday drinking and serious wine.
The Bottom Line
Tacoma Wine Merchants is doing something quietly remarkable: a bottle shop and enoteca with Bartolo Mascarello on the shelf and a $17 Rosso Conero next to it, all priced like they actually want to move wine. If you're anywhere near Tacoma, this is worth a detour.
· Tacoma · Seafood & Grill
WildFin Tacoma isn't trying to reinvent the wine list — it's trying to give you something good to drink while you eat good fish, and it succeeds. If you stick to the Pacific Northwest picks and lean on the by-the-glass program, you'll leave happy.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Tacoma · Mediterranean & Sherry Bar
En Rama is doing something specific and doing it with a degree of care that earns respect — 18 well-chosen bottles, fair prices, and a by-the-glass program that gives everyone an on-ramp. If you're in Tacoma and want somewhere with a point of view, this is your place.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Sixth Avenue · Tacoma · Mediterranean and Northwest-inspired, wood-fired grill
Primo Grill is doing more with its wine list than it gets credit for — especially in a city where 'solid restaurant wine program' often means a wall of Meiomi. It's not flashy, but the Pacific Northwest depth is real and the European picks show genuine curiosity. We'd send a friend here without hesitation.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Sixth Avenue · Tacoma · Argentinian-inspired wood-fired steakhouse and Latin cuisine
Asado is a reliable neighborhood wine pick for red meat lovers who want Argentine bottles done with some care and without getting gouged. It's not a wine destination, but it's a solid companion to one of Tacoma's better wood-fired kitchens.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Tacoma · Steakhouse
Cuerno Bravo punches above its weight class on wine selection — the Mencía and Betz picks alone set it apart from your average steakhouse list — but the markups across the board are steep enough to sting. Come for the bottle you'd never order anywhere else; just don't expect restaurant-week pricing.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Tacoma · Tacoma · Mediterranean
The Adriatic Grill is the kind of neighborhood restaurant that earns a loyal following by doing the right things quietly — a thoughtful wine list, fair pricing, and a Wine Wednesday program that is frankly one of the better deals in Tacoma. If you can get there on a Wednesday with a group and a hunger for lamb, you're having a great night.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
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