Map your dinner with the Oyster Bar award-winning wine program

Striving to stay in touch with different generations of wine lovers, we annually submit the Oyster Bar wine list to the assessment of Wine Spectator. It’s an exam in quality that encourages us to constantly improve the whole dining experience and make it diverse and affordable for everyone.

What does it mean to have a wine program?

With the expansion of the California wine industry 40 years ago, wine became part and parcel of American culture, and clients naturally become more informed and savvy.

To distinguish restaurants with excellent wine lists, the prestigious industry publication Wine Spectator introduced the Restaurant Awards program.

For over 3 decades, the Oyster Bar wine list of 1400+ selections has received the Best Award of Excellence. This encourages us to constantly learn new ways of improvement of our service.

Selecting the best beverages from the world-renowned wineries, we consider preferences of a wide range of customers, from connoisseurs to novices, – says Amanda A., Wine Director of the Oyster Bar. – And this is an affordable diversity too; you can find many wines at the optimal pricing’.

Each of the wine items on our list has a detailed description: price, origin, and year of production. Let’s see how these categories may be used to pick the perfect bottle for any occasion.

Consider price levels

With its 5 sections (Miscellaneous, White, Rose, Red, and Dessert Wines), our wine list offers the traditional way of selecting beverages but frequently the price is one of the most important factors.

We have developed our wine list to accommodate most budgets and tastes. For instance, the aperitif prices start from $5.50 a glass, and the sub-section Wines by the Glass offers 22 options from 7 regions.

The Oyster Bar wine list extends beyond wines and boasts 12 original beverages. One of the precious items is Orval Trappist Ale (Belgian), one of the most popular beers in the world brewed by monks within the walls of the monastery.

Match wine diversity to regions

This approach helps narrow down the wine list considerably. We offer wines from over 30 wineries.
Each of them represents its traditions that allow our guests to feel comfortable with any choice, whether you play safe and order something familiar or experiment.

When selecting a wine according to region preferences, it is helpful to consider its culinary traditions and seasonality. For example, Mediterranean wines like Chablis (France) will be a good match for Lobster Bisque on our menu.

More useful tips about pairing wines with seafood you can find in our previous post.

Learn about wine age

Our wine program spans almost a century of the world wine traditions, from the legendary fortified Spanish Alvear Solera 1927 Sherry, Pedro Jimenez to graceful French Domaine Sorin 2019.

To enjoy this diversity and not overwhelm yourself, consider the features of the dish too.

In this case, your ultimate choice may be determined by your flavor preferences. If you favor fresh fruit, pick young wines (e.g. Domaine Sorin). For earthy, tertiary flavors, choose mature wines, like Merlot.

More mature flavors go well with rich, stewed dishes.

Whichever approach you pick, use the experience of our knowledgeable staff to your advantage too. There’s nothing we enjoy more than exceeding our guest’s expectations!

Call in advance 360-223-5811 and we’ll reserve a seat for you!