Good burgers, forgettable wine list
Southeast Portland · Portland · American, Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 13, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The Observatory’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The Observatory is a genuinely likable Southeast Portland neighborhood bar — casual, comfortable, and good at what it does. But the wine list reads like an afterthought stapled to the back of a menu that already knew what it wanted to be. Nothing wrong, exactly. Just nothing trying very hard.
The list clocks in at 20-35 bottles with a loose focus on Oregon, California, and France — which sounds reasonable until you realize the producers skew heavily toward grocery-store-familiar and import-filler territory. Giocato and Zaccagnini aren't exactly the names that get Portland wine nerds excited. To the list's credit, it nods at regional identity with Oregon representation, but doesn't dig deep enough to reward anyone who's looking for something beyond the obvious.
Eight to twelve by-the-glass options in a $10–$14 range is workable for a neighborhood bar, and the price points won't shock anyone. The problem is the markups behind those prices — the Bocelli Prosecco split lands at $10 for a 187ml pour on a bottle that retails for $5, which is a 100% markup on something you're drinking out of a tiny bottle. The glass program feels static rather than curated.
Bocelli Prosecco 187ml Split — $10
Look, it's not glamorous, but a cold split of Prosecco before a burger is a move. The markup stings a little, but at $10 you're not making a major financial commitment, and it's cheerful and fizzy and does its job.
Giocato Sauvignon Blanc
At $36, it's not thrilling on paper, but if you're eating something with heat — like the Chipotle Elk Burger — a crisp Sauvignon Blanc is doing real work on your palate. Most people here are ordering beer. You ordering this gets you something that actually cuts through the fat and fire.
Zaccagnini Pinot Grigio
Forty-four dollars for a bottle that retails at $18 is a 144% markup on a perfectly average Pinot Grigio. It's not bad wine. It's just not $44 wine, and in a casual bar setting, that math is hard to justify.
Giocato Sauvignon Blanc + Chipotle Elk Burger
The brightness and acidity in the Sauvignon Blanc does what beer can't — it actually refreshes the palate between bites of that smoky, spicy elk burger rather than just sitting alongside it.
The Bottom Line
The Observatory is a great bar with decent food that treats wine as a box to check rather than a reason to come in. Drink the beer, drink the cocktails — but if you must order wine, go in with eyes open on the markups.
Dundee · Portland · Italian, French, American
The official site identifies The Dundee Bistro as closed. The wine selections described here are historical context, not current availability. This notice does not establish a closure date or a future reopening.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Pearl District · Portland · Italian/Mediterranean
A restaurant list with 15 pours by the glass from $11 to $17 and a bottle list from 40 to 1100, split by country. Start with the Hacienda Lopez de Haro Rioja Crianza '22 at $12, or the Tenuta di Lilliano Chianti Classico '22 at $16 alongside the Radiatore, and confirm prices because the list is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Southeast Portland · Portland · Charcuterie/American
A charcuterie restaurant with a natural-leaning wine list and a 12-pour glass list on the dinner menu. Start with the $14/glass Hoppenot gamay, or split the $55 Stick Figurine orange wine across a board, and confirm current availability. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
King · Portland · Spanish
A Spanish tapas-bar wine page with glass and bottle prices from 13/50 and a ten-sherry list. Start with the Pago del Cielo Celeste Verdejo at 13 a glass, try the chilled Vara y Pulgar Tintilla at 17 if you want something different, and order the Miquel Pons Cava with the croquetas. The page says the posted menu may differ from the restaurant's, so confirm prices. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Portland · New American with Asian Influences
A long list sorted by style, with glass pours from $9.50 to $20, a Coravin tier above that, and bottles that climb to $750. Start with the A to Z at $13.50 or the Roederer Estate Brut at $20, and confirm current prices because the list isn't dated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Alberta Arts · Portland · Italian
An Italian-leaning bottle list with an Oregon side, and no glass pours posted. Order the $65 Bow and Arrow Gamay, or the $65 Keltis 'Zan White' Slovenian Orange Blend if you want an orange wine, and confirm availability. This unrated guide covers the posted Spring & Summer ’26 beverage menu, not service, storage or markups.
West Kennewick / Clearwater Ave · Kennewick · American, Bar
Magill's isn't a wine destination, but it's a neighborhood spot that actually tried with its list — local producers, a thoughtful rosé pick, and a Wednesday deal that makes the steep everyday markups irrelevant. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Mourvèdre rosé, and stop overthinking it.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Fairhaven · Bellingham · American, Bar
The Black Cat is a genuinely good neighborhood spot with a wine list that mostly gets out of its own way — just steer toward the Washington and Spanish bottles, stay away from the California Pinot trap, and enjoy the view. We'd send a friend here for a low-key dinner, not a wine-first evening.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Fogelsville / Near Allentown · Allentown · American, Bar
Madeline's won't be the reason you plan a trip to Fogelsville, but if you're already there, the wine list earns a solid passing grade. Fair prices, decent range, and a few genuinely good picks make it worth ordering a bottle instead of defaulting to the bar menu.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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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Staff
Specials & Deals
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