Classic New England Inn, California on the List
Dorset · Dorset · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 29, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Dorset Inn’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Walking into the Dorset Inn's candlelit dining room, you half expect the wine list to be printed on parchment. It's not, but it does feel comfortably frozen in time — a tight California-focused selection that suits the room without challenging anyone sitting in it. The Award of Excellence it's held since 2008 is well-earned in the sense that everything here is done with care, even if the ambition is modest.
The list runs 100-150 bottles and leans hard into California — Jordan and Stag's Leap anchor the Cabernet side, Cakebread and Sonoma-Cutrer hold down Chardonnay, and Duckhorn shows up as the reliable Merlot option. You're not finding any surprises: no Willamette Pinot, no Loire whites, no natural wine in sight. What you get is a list curated for the guest who knows what they like and doesn't want to be challenged — which, for a historic Vermont inn, is probably exactly right. The gaps are real, but so is the competence.
Ten to sixteen options by the glass is a reasonable spread for a room this size, and the California anchors — Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay and likely a Jordan pour — cover the most-ordered territory well. Don't expect a rotating program or anything adventurous; this is a set-it-and-forget-it glass lineup that changes with the menu seasons at best.
Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay — $45
A genuinely good Russian River Chardonnay at an inn that could easily gouge you — it's fairly priced and punches above its weight against the kitchen's richer dishes.
Duckhorn Merlot
Merlot gets ignored at restaurants like this because everyone goes straight for the Cabernet. Duckhorn's version is plush, structured, and holds up beautifully to the Vermont lamb without requiring the premium of a Stag's Leap pour.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
It's a fine wine, but Stag's Leap at an inn-restaurant carries a steeper markup than you'd pay at a proper wine bar — and the Jordan Cab next to it on the list drinks nearly as well for noticeably less.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon + Vermont Lamb
Jordan's soft tannins and red-fruit backbone don't overpower the lamb's natural sweetness the way a bigger Cab would — it's the kind of match that makes a quiet inn dinner feel exactly right.
✔️ The Bottom Line
The Dorset Inn isn't a destination for wine lovers chasing the next discovery, but it's honest, fairly priced, and serves its classic American kitchen well. Send a friend here who wants a great meal without a wine list that makes them feel inadequate.
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