Rustic Foundry Vibes, Surprisingly Thoughtful Pours
Clipper Mill · Baltimore · American · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Woodberry Kitchen’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into a converted 1870s iron foundry and being handed a wine list that leans organic and biodynamic is not what most people expect from a Baltimore neighborhood restaurant — and that's exactly the point. The list is compact but clearly curated with some intention, not just filled with the usual suspects from a broadline distributor. It signals that someone here cares, even if the pricing occasionally gets greedy.
The list runs 80 to 120 bottles with a stated focus on local growers and internationally sourced organic and biodynamic producers, which gives it a personality most mid-tier American restaurants never bother developing. The regional diversity skews toward thoughtful European and domestic picks rather than the predictable California parade. That said, the data we have is thin on specific producers across the full bottle list, so the depth is harder to verify beyond what's poured by the glass. It's a list that promises more than it proves on paper, but the philosophy is right.
Seven options by the glass covering the full spectrum — Cava, Prosecco, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Rosé, Pinot Noir, and a Carignan blend — which is a respectable range without being excessive. The inclusion of a Carignan blend is the most interesting move here; it's an unusual grape for a by-the-glass program and suggests someone is paying attention. We'd like to see more rotation and a few more adventurous pours, but this is a solid starting point for a restaurant that isn't positioning itself as a wine bar.
Carignan Blend (by the glass) — Not published
Carignan on a by-the-glass list is genuinely rare — it's a grape that rewards curiosity and tends to be priced accessibly. Order it before someone rethinks the program.
Carignan Blend
Most tables here will default to the Pinot Noir or Chardonnay without a second thought. The Carignan blend is the outlier that earns its spot — earthy, food-friendly, and not something you'll find on the by-the-glass list at most restaurants in this city.
Alexander Valley Vineyards Merlot (half-bottle)
At $30 for a half-bottle that retails around $15, you're paying a 100% markup for the privilege of a wine you could take home for the price of a glass. The juice is fine, but the math isn't.
Cava (by the glass) + Fried Oysters
Bubbles and fried shellfish are one of the most reliable combinations in the book — the effervescence cuts through the richness and the acidity keeps things bright. Cava does this job for less money than Champagne and doesn't ask for credit.
Wednesday — 10 glasses of wine available by the glass plus half-price bottles on Wednesdays
The Bottom Line
Woodberry Kitchen is a Wild Card in the best sense — a rustic, converted-foundry restaurant that brings more genuine wine curiosity to its list than the setting might suggest. The Wednesday half-price bottle night is reason enough to plan around it, just steer clear of the marked-up half-bottles.
Sparks · Baltimore · French-inspired with Mid-Atlantic seasonal ingredients
Explore the glass list before committing to a bottle: $12 Crémant and $17 Chinon give you two clear starting points. Prices and six-ounce servings come from the posted list checked in September 2026. Confirm availability; this menu guide doesn't rate service or cellar conditions.
· Baltimore · American
Give the international and local sections a look before defaulting to Burgundy. Sula at $70 and Old Westminster at $90 offer different budget options. These are posted bottle prices, not guaranteed stock; confirm availability. This menu guide doesn't rate service or cellar conditions.
Mount Vernon · Baltimore · Northern Italian
Try Lavignone at $14 a glass or compare a $52 bottle if everyone wants the same red. Sotto Sopra makes that budget decision straightforward. Prices come from the posted menu checked in September 2026; availability can change, and this guide doesn't rate service or cellar conditions.
· Baltimore · Italian
Facci's wine list is a quiet overachiever: all-Italian, regionally adventurous, and priced without greed. If you want to drink something you've never heard of and pay a fair price for it, this is your spot.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Clipper Mill · Baltimore · American, Farm to Table
True Chesapeake is a Wild Card in the best possible sense — a working waterfront oyster spot with a Wine Spectator-recognized list helmed by a sommelier who clearly cares. Go for the oysters, stay for the Weinbach, and don't skip the Muscadet.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Horseshoe Casino · Baltimore · Steak house, European
Gordon Ramsay Steak isn't going to surprise you, but it delivers a solid, award-backed California-and-France wine list in a setting where you'd half-expect to be handed a laminated card with three options. For a casino steakhouse in Baltimore, that's genuinely worth something.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Yountville · American
RH Yountville is a genuinely beautiful place to drink wine — the room earns that much on atmosphere alone, and the California-forward list will keep most guests happy without any friction. But in Yountville, where the competition includes some of the most serious wine programs in the country, 'happy without friction' isn't the same as memorable. Go for the experience, order confidently by region, and don't expect the list to surprise you.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bakersfield · American
Yard House Bakersfield is a beer hall that happens to sell wine, and the list makes no effort to hide that. Markups are aggressive, selections are safe to the point of being anonymous, and the only reason to open a bottle here is if your table voted against another round of IPAs. If you're wine-focused, redirect your budget to the Jean-Luc Colombo Rosé by the glass and call it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Yountville · American
The Kitchen at Priest Ranch is a one-winery show, and that's exactly the point. If you want to spend an evening exploring what a single Napa estate produces across whites, rosé, Zinfandel, Merlot, and multiple Cabernet expressions — including older large-format bottles — this is a genuinely interesting way to do it. Just don't come expecting breadth or outside discovery. Send a friend here if they love Priest Ranch or want to.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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