Great Pints, Wine List Phoning It In
Lower Thames · Newport · Irish Pub · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Fastnet Pub’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — 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 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.
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
Lower Thames / Residential Edge · Newport · Classic Italian
Mamma Luisa isn't a wine destination, but it's a solid, honest Italian list that does right by the food coming out of the kitchen. Send a friend here for a bottle of Barbera and a bowl of homemade pasta and they'll thank you.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lower Thames · Newport · Italian (Apulian/Seafood-Focused)
Vieste isn't a destination wine list, but it's a genuinely honest one — a small, region-focused selection that actually matches the food and the room. Send a friend here if they're curious about Southern Italian grapes and tired of the same ten wines on every Newport menu.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Bannister's Wharf Area · Newport · New American small plates with Mediterranean and raw bar focus
Stoneacre Garden punches above its weight for a patio bar on the Newport waterfront — it's not a destination wine list, but it's a thoughtful one built around the food, and that's rarer than it should be. If you're here for oysters and small plates, you'll drink well without overthinking it.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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
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
Tipperary Hill · Syracuse · Irish Pub
Coleman's is a great Irish pub that happens to have wine on the menu — emphasis on 'happens to.' Order a Guinness, grab a Jameson, and if someone at the table insists on wine, point them toward the Dr. Frank and move on.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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