Waterfront Pours That Won't Sink You
Rocketts Landing · Richmond · Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 20, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Boathouse’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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The wine list at The Boathouse reads exactly how you'd expect from a casual-upscale seafood spot on the James River — approachable, seafood-friendly, and built for people who want a glass of something cold with their crab cakes, not a lecture. It's a 60-100 bottle list that leans California and France with a few international wildcards thrown in to keep things interesting.
The backbone here is California and Pacific Northwest whites, which makes sense given the menu, but there's more going on underneath. You've got a Bardolino from Le Fraghe for the crowd that wants something lighter and red, a Rioja Crianza from Bodegas Ostatu for the beef-order-at-a-seafood-restaurant crowd, and even a Virginia local in the Williamsburg Winery Claret. The South African Wolftrap and Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from Black Cottage round out the international picks and give the list some geographic personality. It's not a deep cellar by any stretch, but it covers the bases for a waterfront dinner without feeling lazy.
Ten to sixteen by-the-glass options is a respectable spread for a place like this — enough to find something that fits without analysis paralysis. The real play here is the weekday lunch and brunch half-price glass deal, which flips a moderately steep list into genuinely good value. If you're showing up on a Tuesday afternoon for clams and a cold white, this is where the list earns its keep.
Le Fraghe Bardolino DOC — $32
Yes, the markup is still in the high-70s percentage range, but at $32 this light-bodied Italian red is the kind of flexible bottle that works with half the menu — fish, crab cakes, charcuterie. It's the lowest dollar ask for a bottle with actual terroir behind it, and most tables will walk right past it for the Rombauer.
Bodegas Ostatu Rioja Crianza
Nobody goes to a waterfront seafood restaurant and orders a Rioja Crianza, which is exactly why you should. Ostatu is a serious producer making wines that typically punch well above this price tier, and at a seafood-forward restaurant it's the move for anyone ordering the heartier dishes or just refusing to drink white wine on principle.
The Wolftrap Red Western Cape
At $29 it sounds reasonable until you realize you're paying nearly double retail for a high-volume South African blend that retails for $15 at your grocery store. It's a perfectly fine everyday wine at home — at the restaurant it's the list's worst markup by percentage and the least interesting bottle at that price point.
Black Cottage Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough + Crab Cakes
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and crab cakes is not a reinvention of the wheel — it's the wheel working exactly as intended. The bright acidity and citrus-forward profile cut through the richness of the crab, and Black Cottage delivers that classic New Zealand snap cleanly. Order it by the glass during the weekday special and it's a borderline steal.
Weekdays — Half price wines by the glass during weekday lunch and brunch service, alongside $1 clams and $5 snacks.
The Bottom Line
The Boathouse is a solid waterfront wine list that does its job without embarrassing itself — the markups are a little greedy across the board, but the selection is thoughtful enough and the weekday glass deal rescues the value equation. Send a friend here for a casual seafood lunch with wine; just steer them away from the weekend dinner bill.
· Richmond · Steakhouse
Perry's is a perfectly competent wine stop for steakhouse purposes — you'll find something to drink, the by-the-glass selection is broad, and nobody's going home unhappy. But if you care about value or discovery, this list won't challenge you, and the markup on recognizable names is a quiet tax on your loyalty to the brand.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Scott's Addition · Richmond · American, Seafood
Lillian is the rare spot where the wine list is more ambitious than the address suggests — a focused, France-and-Italy-forward program with legit producers, a knowledgeable floor lead, and bottle prices that don't feel punitive. Send a friend here, tell them to sit at the counter, order oysters, and ask PJ what's open.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Carytown · Richmond · American, Seasonal
Shagbark is the real deal — a legitimately serious wine program attached to a kitchen that can back it up, priced fairly enough that you'll actually want to explore. If you're in Richmond and you care about what's in your glass, this is the room you should be in.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Richmond · Richmond · Indian, Vegetarian
Lehja is doing something genuinely unusual — building a serious, award-winning wine program inside a spice-forward Indian restaurant in suburban Virginia — and pulling it off. Send your wine-curious friends here and watch them recalibrate their expectations.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Rocketts Landing · Richmond · American, Steakhouse, Seafood, Contemporary
The Boathouse is a reliable choice if you time it right — hit that 4–6pm happy hour and suddenly the steep markups become a non-issue. Outside of that window, you're paying a premium for the view as much as the wine, which is fine as long as you go in knowing that.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Museum District · Richmond · Cafe, American
Garnett's is a neighborhood sandwich shop with zero pretension and a wine program that quietly overachieves — especially if you lean into the Date Night Special. Send your friends here when they say they can't afford a nice dinner.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown Carmel · Carmel By The Sea · Seafood
Catch is a dependable wine stop for a seafood dinner in Carmel — nothing here will disappoint you, but nothing will surprise you either. If you go in with calibrated expectations and order the Schramsberg with your crab, you'll leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Hood River · Hood River · Seafood
Votum is operating a world-class wine program in a town most people only stop through on the way to a hike — the depth of this cellar belongs in a major city restaurant, and the sommelier presence means you're not navigating it alone. The markups on the prestige bottles will sting, but find your entry point and this list rewards serious attention.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Bowen's Wharf · Newport · Seafood
The Lobster Bar isn't a wine destination, but it's a perfectly competent list for what the restaurant is — a casual waterfront spot where the lobster is the star. Order the Sancerre, eat the oysters, watch the boats.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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