Great Pints, Wine List Phoning It In
Lower Thames · Newport · Irish Pub · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 24, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The Fastnet Pub’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You walk into The Fastnet and immediately clock that this is a beer-and-whiskey joint that happens to have wine on the menu as an afterthought. Eight labels, all familiar faces from the bottom shelf of any grocery store, and zero indication that anyone here has given the wine program a second thought since they laminated the menu.
Eight wines covering California, Italy, New Zealand, France, and Australia sounds diverse until you realize we're talking about Bogle, Cavit, Hess Select, and Lunetta — the Mount Rushmore of uninspired restaurant wine lists. There's no regional focus, no interesting producers, and no attempt to lean into anything local or distinctive. The Barossa Valley Cab is the lone wine with any personality, and even that feels accidental. Gaps are everywhere: no red from Italy, no Burgundy, no Rhône, nothing that would make a wine-curious drinker feel seen.
By-the-glass specifics aren't confirmed, but given the eight-bottle list, it's a safe bet the entire selection pours by the glass — which means you're choosing between Bogle Pinot Noir and Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc on a Friday night in Newport. Rotation appears nonexistent; this list reads like it hasn't changed since the Obama administration.
La Vieille Ferme Rosé — null
Pricing wasn't confirmed, but La Vieille Ferme is the one wine on this list with actual pedigree — it's a Perrin family production from the Luberon and reliably overdelivers for its retail cost. If it's priced anywhere close to fair, it's your move here.
Barossa Valley Cabernet
Nobody comes to an Irish pub in Newport thinking 'I'll have the Aussie Cab,' but Barossa Cab is built for hearty pub food — big, dark fruit, enough structure to handle a burger or a shepherd's pie. It's the one wine on this list that actually makes sense in context, and most people will order Bogle by default and miss it.
Lunetta Prosecco
Lunetta is a fine $12 grocery store Prosecco, and there's nothing wrong with it at home. But at pub markup in a loud bar with no champagne flutes in sight, you're paying restaurant prices for a bottle that belongs in a mimosa bar. Order a Guinness instead — you're already in the right place for it.
La Vieille Ferme Rosé + Fish and Chips
Rosé from the southern Rhône has the acidity to cut through fried batter and the weight to hold up to flaky white fish. It's the most food-friendly wine on the list and the closest thing to a no-brainer pairing the Fastnet can offer.
The Bottom Line
Come to The Fastnet for the live music, the craic, and an honest pint — the wine list is purely functional and nobody here is pretending otherwise. If wine is your thing, this is a cocktail-order night.
· Newport · Fine Dining / New American
Castle Hill's wine list is a quiet overachiever in a setting that could easily get away with doing far less. The by-the-glass depth is real, the format variety is a genuine bonus, and the Lustau Fino alone justifies scanning the list carefully. Prices trend steep as you'd expect from a waterfront inn, but the curation earns some goodwill — just don't autopilot to the Cabernet.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Newport · Seafood / Clam Shack
Flo's is a genuine New England institution for fried clams and clam cakes, and we'd happily eat there any day of the week. But the wine program is essentially non-existent — two options, one of them a mystery, and one of them a Champagne marked up 100%. Order the ice cold beer instead; it's literally on the menu as the drink of choice, and they're not wrong.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Newport · Wine bar / small plates
Bar 12 is a well-priced, no-drama wine stop in a city where wine lists can get away with being lazy and expensive. The selection is commercial and safe, but the Grüner and the Willamette Pinot Noir show someone made at least a couple of interesting calls. If you want a solid glass without a markup headache, it delivers — just don't come looking for discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Newport · Winery Tasting Room
Greenvale Vineyards is a legitimate reason to detour off Bellevue Avenue. The estate list is small but not lazy — the Ramato alone earns the visit — and at $25 to $40 a bottle, you're paying tasting room prices, not restaurant markups. If you're spending a day in Newport, this is where you buy a bottle for the waterfront, not where you linger over a three-course dinner.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Outskirts / North End · Newport · Farm-to-Table / Winery Restaurant
Brix isn't trying to be a destination wine list — it's trying to be a great ambassador for one vineyard's work, and it mostly succeeds. Send your curious friends here; send your Burgundy obsessives somewhere else.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Lower Thames · Newport · Farm-to-Table / New American
TSK is quietly one of the better wine lists in Newport, which is a town that doesn't exactly set a high bar — but this one would hold its own in most cities. If you're eating farm-to-table food and want a bottle that actually matches the kitchen's ethos, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Fort Wayne · Irish Pub
J.K. O'Donnell's is a beer bar first and a wine list second, but the pricing is so reasonable and the selection so inoffensive that ordering a bottle doesn't feel like a mistake. Come for the pint, stay for the surprisingly affordable Malbec.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Redmond · Redmond · Irish Pub
JJ Mahoney's is a good pub for a pint and some fish and chips — but the wine list is purely functional, not worth seeking out. If wine is your priority tonight, eat here and drink somewhere else after.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Side Oshkosh · Oshkosh · Irish Pub
Dublin's isn't a wine destination and it doesn't pretend to be — but the pricing is fair, the Whitehaven earns its spot, and Thursday half-price bottles make this a genuinely smart stop if you're already here for the pub food. Send your wine-curious friends on a Thursday.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
