Hotel Wine List That Actually Shows Up
Downtown · Seattle · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 11, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The George’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into the Fairmont Olympic's brasserie, you half-expect the wine list to be the usual hotel shakedown — Kendall-Jackson by the glass at $22 and a silent prayer you don't notice. The George surprises you. Prices are genuinely reasonable, and someone clearly ran the numbers before printing this thing.
The list leans heavily California with nods to Italy, New Zealand, Argentina, and Provence — nothing that's going to make a Burgundy nerd excited, but solid geography coverage for a hotel dining room. You'll find familiar faces like Duckhorn, The Prisoner, and Meiomi alongside some quieter Italian picks that suggest a little more thought went into sourcing than the obvious name-brand route. What's missing is depth — no real cellar depth, no small producers, no old-world anchor beyond grocery-tier Italian whites. This is a list built for the hotel guest who wants something recognizable and drinkable, not the local who came specifically for the wine.
The glass program runs $10–$25 and covers enough ground to be useful — you can open with a Maso Canali Pinot Grigio, pivot to a Mer Soleil Chardonnay, and close on The Prisoner without ever leaving the list. Exact count is unclear, but there's enough range to navigate a full meal without repeating yourself. No rotation program visible, which tracks — this feels like a list that was set and left alone.
Duckhorn Chardonnay — $22
Duckhorn Chardonnay retails around $50 and here it's $22 a glass. That's not a markup, that's a gift. Order it twice and don't overthink it.
Mer Soleil Chardonnay
Listed at $12 a glass against a $20 retail price — this Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay gets overlooked because Duckhorn is right there doing its thing, but Mer Soleil is toasty, coastal, and priced like they forgot to update the menu.
Santa Margarita Pinot Grigio
At $21 a glass for a wine that retails at $20 a bottle, the math doesn't lie — this is the one pour where the hotel tax is fully showing. It's fine wine, but you're paying full bottle price for a single pour. Pass.
The Prisoner Red Blend + Seattle Surf & Turf
The Prisoner's Zinfandel-forward blend — dark fruit, a little smoke, some tension — cuts right through the richness of buttered lobster and holds its own against the steak. At $25 a glass against a $50 retail price, it's the move for a splurge dinner that doesn't feel completely reckless.
The Bottom Line
The George won't blow any wine nerd's mind, but the markup structure is legitimately one of the fairest we've seen at a hotel restaurant in Seattle — the Duckhorn and Prisoner pours alone are worth the stop. Send your friend here if they want a reliable, recognizable glass at a price that won't make them wince when the bill arrives.
Downtown · Seattle · Brazilian Churrascaria
The real headline here is the half-price South American bottles — available Monday through Thursday, all day, on bottles under $150 — which turns a polished steakhouse into a legitimately reasonable wine night. The list won't excite anyone who came for the wine, but if you came for the meat and want a solid regional bottle at a fair price, this deal is worth planning around.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Active Program
Acceptable
Ballard · Seattle · Italian
A short, Italian-leaning list with most of its bottles in the Old World red section. Order the $11 Montepulciano by the glass, or the $69 Travaglini Gattinara if you want to splurge a little, and confirm prices on the day. This unrated guide covers the posted wine menus, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Seattle · Pacific Northwest / New American
A hotel wine list with a Pacific Northwest page up front, Champagne, Bordeaux and Italian sections behind it, and a separate glass list on the drink menu. Start with the $12 Treveri Blanc de Blancs at happy hour or the Mark Ryan 'Goldfinch Tavern Red Blend', and check the current list before you go, since the restaurant says menus are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list and drink menu, not service, storage or markups.
Lake Union · Seattle · Steakhouse
A long, Northwest-first steakhouse list with plenty of bottles under $100 as well as a $300-to-$550 tier of Leonetti and Quilceda Creek Cabernets. Start with the $20 Five Star Cellars “Prime” Cabernet by the glass, or the same wine at $55 on the bottle pages, and confirm prices because the list says vintages and availability change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Capitol Hill · Seattle · Italian
An all-Italian list that is easy to navigate: 11 wines by the glass from $13 to $30, a bottle list sorted by region, and $8 house wine during Apericena. Order the Soave at $13 or the $17 Kerner by the glass, or the Villa Venti Sangiovese with the tagliatelle al ragu, and confirm prices because the page says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Central District · Seattle · Seafood
A mostly natural, mostly French bottle list that stretches from $60 Muscadet to a $455 Champagne, with a deep run of Jura, Savoie and Loire bottles. Start with the $60 Hautplanty Muscadet or the $72 Laurent Herlin Cabernet Franc, and ask about the list’s ◆ and ◉ key if you want help choosing between classic and wild. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks selection, not service, storage or markups.
· Round Rock · New American
Whiskey Cake Round Rock isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — the all-by-the-glass format keeps things approachable, the pricing is honest, and there are a couple of genuinely good pours hiding in a short list. If wine is your priority tonight, look elsewhere; if you're here for the vibe and want something decent in your glass, Chehalem and Altocedro have you covered.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Columbia · New American
Motor Supply Co. Bistro appears to put its energy into the kitchen, and that may be the right call — but three wines is not a wine program. Until this list gets a serious rethink, order a cocktail or call ahead to ask about corkage.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · New American
THREE isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes that abundantly clear. If you're here for cocktails or the bar scene, you're probably in the right place — but if wine matters to you even a little, this four-item lineup isn't going to do much for you. Order the House Champagne at $5, accept the situation for what it is, and move on.
Grocery Store
Fair
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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Specials & Deals
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