2,800 Bottles Deep in the Far East
Downtown · Seattle · Asian · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed April 8, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Wild Ginger Downtown Seattle’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
When an Asian restaurant in downtown Seattle is sitting on more than 2,800 wine selections, you stop and pay attention. This isn't a wine list assembled by accident — there's a sommelier behind this, and it shows immediately. The range is serious enough to earn a Wine Spectator nod, which for a pan-Asian kitchen is genuinely unexpected.
The list leans heavily into Burgundy and the Rhône Valley as its old-world anchors, which makes sense given the spice-forward, umami-rich food — both regions produce wines that can actually hold their own against lemongrass and five-spice. The Washington state section is a genuine highlight, with a tight curation of Red Mountain producers including Hedges Family Estate and Reynvaan — two names that belong on any serious Pacific Northwest list. Riesling also gets real attention here, which is the right call for this cuisine and suggests whoever built this list was thinking about the food, not just the prestige. Gaps in pricing transparency make it hard to know where the bargains hide, but with a sommelier on staff, just ask.
By-the-glass details weren't available at time of review, which is frustrating given the depth of the cellar — a list this size should be pouring at least eight to ten options by the glass. If the sommelier program is as engaged as it appears, we'd expect the pours to rotate with the seasons and reflect what's actually drinking well right now. Ask the staff what's open — a place this wine-serious usually has something good breathing behind the bar.
Hedges Family Estate 2017 Le Blanc White Blend — null
Le Blanc is the kind of Washington white that most people walk past, which means it's usually priced fairly relative to its quality. It's made by one of Red Mountain's founding families and drinks well alongside the aromatic dishes Wild Ginger does best. No price confirmed but worth asking your server to pull this one first.
Reynvaan Wines
Reynvaan is a cult Washington producer that earns massive scores and stays off most restaurant lists because it requires someone who actually cares to stock it. The fact that Wild Ginger has hosted a Reynvaan wine dinner suggests a real relationship with the winery — if they're pouring it by the glass or have bottles available, don't think twice.
Hedges Family Estate 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain
Cabernet Sauvignon is almost always the most marked-up bottle on any restaurant list, and a Washington Cab at a downtown Seattle hot spot is going to carry a premium. The food here doesn't particularly need a big tannic red — you'd be fighting the cuisine rather than working with it. Save the Cab for a steakhouse and let the Rhône selections do the heavy lifting.
Hedges Family Estate 2013 Les Gosses Vineyard Syrah Red Mountain + Fragrant Duck
A Red Mountain Syrah with some age on it has the pepper, smoke, and dark fruit to match the richness of a slow-cooked duck preparation without steamrolling the aromatics. The 2013 vintage gives this bottle enough time to mellow its tannins into something genuinely elegant — exactly what you want across from spiced poultry.
The Bottom Line
Wild Ginger is pulling off something most restaurants don't even attempt — a cellar with real depth and regional focus anchoring a pan-Asian menu. If you're eating here and not exploring the wine list, you're leaving the best part on the table.
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.
· Alpharetta · Asian
Sushi Sumo isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes that abundantly clear. If you're here for the sushi, stick to sake or beer — both will serve you far better than a mass-market Merlot. The wine program gets a Lazy List badge not because of the price, but because three identical-label bottles and zero effort is a choice, and not a good one.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Asian
Tabla's wine list punches above its weight for an Asian restaurant in Atlanta. The white-heavy, aromatic-focused selection makes genuine sense with the food, pricing at the entry level is fair, and the BTG depth is real. We'd send a friend here for wine without hesitation — just order the Grüner first.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Asian
Wagyu House Atlanta's wine list does its job for a high-end group dinner or event — the bottles are recognizable, the glass pours are priced fairly, and the Champagne section gives big spenders something to point at. But if you're coming in hoping for genuine wine exploration, the list won't meet you halfway. Order the S.A. Prum, eat the wagyu, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
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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