Best Wine Lists in Maine

Mr. Tuna isn't a wine destination — it's a great sushi spot that happens to have two sensible, well-chosen bottles and a local can that makes the experience feel intentional. Come for the hand rolls, drink the Vinho Verde, and don't overthink it.

A fast-casual raw bar with a wine list that punches well above its category — the French-only focus is a feature, not a limitation. If you're eating oysters in Portland, this is where you want to be drinking.

Aragosta is the rare case where the wine program matches the remoteness of the drive — you come all the way out here and find a 3,475-bottle cellar waiting for you. Yes, send your friends. Send everyone.

Scales is playing a different game than the tourist-trap seafood spots on either side of it — the wine list is genuinely Old World-focused and well-matched to the food, which is rare and worth noting. If you're eating clams and mussels on the Portland waterfront, this is where you want to be doing it with a glass in hand.

Regards isn't trying to be a wine bar, but whoever built this list understands exactly what the food needs and went hunting for it. If you're in Portland and want a bottle that actually earns its place on the table, this is the move.

Chaval is punching above its weight class for a neighborhood brasserie in Portland — the list is small but curated by someone who actually cares, with pricing that doesn't punish curiosity. If you're open to going off the beaten path (xarel-lo, South African grenache blanc), this is a genuinely rewarding room to drink in.

Franciska is a small list doing something genuinely specific in a city that deserves more of it — Iberian-focused, fairly priced, and built around a kitchen concept that actually connects to the wine. Yes, send a friend here, especially if that friend is tired of the usual.

Drifters Wife was the kind of wine program that made Portland, Maine punch well above its weight — a genuinely adventurous, producer-driven natural wine list in a casual room with fair prices. It has permanently closed, and that's a real loss.

Solo Italiano isn't building the deepest Italian list in New England, but it's one of the most purposeful — and in a market full of lazy, overpriced wine cards, that counts for a lot. Go for the Etna Rosso, order the branzino, and don't let anyone talk you into the Brunello unless they're buying.

Duckfat is a wildcard in the best sense — nobody expects a Belgian frites counter in Portland to pour Sancerre at near-retail prices, but here we are. If you're eating here anyway, there's zero reason to skip the wine.

Scales is the rare waterfront seafood spot that actually deserves its wine list — the old-world focus is intentional, the staff knows what they're doing, and the marriage of Maine shellfish with serious Burgundy and Alsace is one of the better wine-and-food propositions in New England. Yes, send your friends here for wine.

David's is the kind of place where the wine list quietly overdelivers — serious producers, genuinely fair markups, and a range that respects the food it's meant to accompany. If you're eating in Portland and want a bottle that actually matches the ambition of the kitchen, this is a reliable bet.