Wine Wednesday Makes This Tacoma's Best Kept Secret
South Tacoma · Tacoma · Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 28, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Adriatic Grill’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into The Adriatic Grill, the wine list signals that someone here actually gives a damn — 50 to 80 bottles with a clear Mediterranean through-line and enough Pacific Northwest representation to remind you where you are. It's not trying to be a downtown Seattle wine bar, and that's exactly what makes it interesting. For South Tacoma, this list punches well above its weight class.
The list leans into an Italy-meets-Pacific-Northwest identity that makes sense given the kitchen's Mediterranean focus. You've got serious Italian anchors in Masi Amarone della Valpolicella and Marchesi Antinori Chianti Classico sitting alongside Washington State Syrah and Oregon options, which keeps the list from feeling like a greatest-hits import shelf. The Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio is the one crowd-pleaser concession — it's fine, it sells, it's forgettable. The gaps show up in Southern Europe and the Southern Hemisphere, but what's here is coherent and purposeful enough that you won't feel stranded.
Eight to fourteen pours by the glass is a genuinely solid range for a neighborhood fine-dining spot, and the presence of Wine Wednesday suggests the list rotates with some intention rather than sitting stale for months. We'd like to see more adventurous pours make it to the glass program — a Washington Syrah by the glass would be a no-brainer given the list — but the breadth covers enough ground to keep a table of mixed drinkers happy.
Marchesi Antinori Chianti Classico — Unknown
On Wine Wednesday at 50% off, this is a world-class Tuscan producer at a price that belongs in your living room, not a restaurant. Even at full price, Antinori Chianti Classico is one of the more honest values on any Italian-leaning list — and next to the wood-fired meats here, it earns every penny.
Washington State Syrah
Most tables here will default to the Italian bottles, which is understandable — but Washington Syrah is having a serious moment and this is a chance to drink it at a restaurant that actually bothered to stock it. It's the sleeper on the list and the locals-know pick.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
Santa Margherita is the Starbucks of Italian white wine — reliable, recognizable, and marked up everywhere it exists. You're almost certainly paying a premium for the brand recognition when better options are sitting right next to it on this list.
Masi Amarone della Valpolicella + Wood-fired lamb
Amarone is a big, dark, slightly bitter wine built for exactly this kind of situation — charred, fatty, herb-forward lamb off a wood fire. The wine's dried-fruit intensity and grippy tannins hold up to the smoke and richness without steamrolling the meat. This is the pairing that justifies the whole trip.
Wednesday — All bottles of wine are 50% off every Wednesday. The restaurant also hosts wine-focused dinners and tastings throughout the year.
The Bottom Line
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.
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The Table is doing more with its wine program than most restaurants in its weight class, and the sommelier on staff gives it real credibility. We'd send a wine-curious friend here without hesitation — just ask questions, trust the staff, and let them point you somewhere interesting.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
· Tacoma · Seafood
The Lobster Shop's wine list is doing more than it has to, and doing it at prices that won't make you wince. If you're eating seafood in Tacoma, this is a better glass situation than you'd find at most spots with ten times the ambition.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Tacoma · Northwest seafood & steak
Copper & Salt isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's working harder than most Northwest kitchen-and-bar concepts to give you something worth drinking. The regional focus is genuine, the by-the-glass selection is unusually generous, and the pricing won't make you wince — send a friend here with confidence.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Tacoma · New American bar & restaurant
Field is punching way above its weight for a Tacoma bar — a focused, affordable list that rewards curiosity instead of punishing it. If you care even a little about interesting wine, this is worth making a detour for.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Sumner · Tacoma · Wine Bar & Gelato Shop
Valley Social is the kind of wine bar that a town like Sumner needs: thoughtful enough to reward attention, casual enough to not require it. Send your friends here for a flight and some gelato — they'll be glad you did.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· Tacoma · Wine bar & bottle shop
Gig Harbor Wine Co. is a one-brand wine bar that somehow doesn't feel like a vanity project — the range is thoughtful, the prices are honest, and the whole setup rewards locals who want to drink well without the markup theater. If you're open to going all-in on a single producer for a night, this is a genuinely fun place to do it.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Atlanta · Mediterranean
Elektra's list is small and smart — a rare combination. The commitment to Greek, Lebanese, and Southern French producers gives it a personality most restaurants with three times the selection can't claim. If you're in the mood to drink something you haven't tried before without getting lectured about it, this list holds up.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Mediterranean
Kitty Dare is punching well above its weight for an Atlanta restaurant wine list — fair prices, genuinely adventurous selections, and the rare willingness to pour all of it by the glass. We don't have visibility into service or food specifics, but the list alone is worth coming for. If you want a Lebanese white from 70-year-old vines for $13/glass, this is your place.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Mediterranean
Fia has the bones of a genuinely good wine program — thoughtful white selections, a few hidden gems, and a Champagne section that sets a mood — but steep markups and a list that doesn't stray far from the expected hold it back from greatness. Go for the Aligoté or the Trebbiano d'Abruzzo, skip the trophy bottles, and you'll drink well without feeling taken.
Plays It Safe
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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