Cozy converted house, surprisingly serious wine list
Eastport · Annapolis · Farm-to-table American and wood-fired pizza · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 20, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Vin 909 Winecafé’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
You're walking into a converted house in a sleepy Annapolis neighborhood, and somehow the wine list is doing real work. Forty-six labels isn't massive, but the curation punches well above the square footage. This is not the list of a restaurant that threw wine on the menu as an afterthought.
The list skews Old World and Pacific Northwest, which is a smart and underrated pairing. You've got Burgundy representation from Mâcon-Lugny 'Les Charmes' and Trenel's Cuvée Rochebonne alongside Oregon producers like Elouan and the Eyrie 'Spark' Sparkling Rosé — a genuinely exciting bottle to find here. There's a Txakolina rosé from Spain, an organic Pecorino from Simone Capecci, and a Côtes du Rhône from Grange de Payan rounding out the European bench. The California and Chile presence is lighter and leans commercial, but the overall map is more interesting than 90% of restaurants at this price point.
Somewhere between 12 and 20 pours by the glass depending on the night, which is a healthy range for a café this size. The only confirmed BTG price in the data is $12 for the NA sparkling, which suggests the program is modestly priced. A rotating selection this size means there's usually something worth ordering without committing to a bottle.
Grange de Payan Côtes du Rhône — $28–$35 (est. range)
A Grenache-Syrah blend from the Rhône at the low end of their bottle pricing is almost always a value win. Food-friendly, honest, and the kind of wine that makes pizza taste better.
Hirutza Txacoli Rosé, Txakolina, Spain
Most tables at a wood-fired pizza spot are going to reach for the Pinot Noir or the Cab. The Txacoli rosé — a lightly sparkling, bone-dry Getariako from Basque Country — is the move that makes your dinner actually interesting. Almost nobody orders it, which is a shame.
Decoy by Duckhorn Chardonnay, Sonoma
At $45 a bottle, you're paying a premium for a label that retails around $20 everywhere. Decoy is fine, but it's a grocery store wine dressed up in restaurant clothes. With Mâcon-Lugny on the same list, there's no reason to go here.
Eyrie 'Spark' Sparkling Rosé, Willamette Valley, OR + Charcuterie and cheese board
A Pinot Blanc/Pinot Noir sparkling rosé from one of Oregon's founding estates has the acidity and the delicate red fruit to cut through cured meats and creamy cheeses without bullying anything on the board. It's the right call before you get to the pizza.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Vin 909 is the kind of neighborhood spot that makes you feel like you found something. The list is small but honest, the prices are fair, and a few bottles — especially the Eyrie and the Txacoli — have no business being this accessible. Yes, send a friend here for wine.
Eastport · Annapolis · American pub fare
Davis' Pub is a great place to drink — just not wine. The list is inoffensive and priced fairly, but it exists as an afterthought in a place where the real action is cold drafts and steamed crabs. Order the Brancott if you must, then pivot to beer.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Spa Creek · Annapolis · Seafood / Steak
Chart House Annapolis is a reliable wine list in a genuinely great setting — you'll drink well enough, but you're paying for the view as much as the pour. Go in with eyes open on the markup and lean on the California stalwarts that earned their spots here.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Towne Centre Area · Annapolis · Wine Bar / Mediterranean
Smashing Grapes is quietly one of the better wine programs in the mid-Atlantic, operating in a market that doesn't always demand it — which makes it even more impressive. Send a friend here, absolutely, and tell them to skip the safe picks.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Upper Main Street · Annapolis · Wine Bar / Bistro
Red Red Wine Bar is a genuinely fun, accessible spot if you go in knowing what it is: a bubbly-forward wine bar built for socializing and sharing flights, not deep-dive cellar exploration. Send your friend here for a casual night out — just don't send them expecting a sprawling wine list.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Church Circle · Annapolis · Tavern / Afternoon Tea
Reynolds Tavern is the kind of Wild Card that earns its badge by being completely sincere — a 275-year-old tavern that stocks Vieux Télégraphe and Maryland Albariño without making a big deal about it. If you're in Annapolis and skipping wine here in favor of a generic hotel bar down the street, that's on you.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Eastport · Annapolis · Seafood / Raw Bar
Blackwall Hitch isn't a wine destination, but it's a reliable spot to drink something decent without getting gouged — especially during happy hour. Send a friend here if they want a glass on the water, not if they're chasing something to talk about.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.