Clinkerdagger
River Views, Steakhouse Classics, Wine Done Right
Downtown · Spokane · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You walk in, catch the Spokane River through the windows, and the wine list feels exactly like the room — classic, comfortable, and not trying to surprise you. It's a proper steakhouse list: West Coast-heavy, recognizable names, built to move bottles with a ribeye. No pretension, but no real adventure either.
Selection Deep Dive
The backbone here is Pacific Northwest and California, which makes sense for a Spokane steakhouse that knows its audience. Washington shows up via Columbia Valley with the Ethos Cabernet Sauvignon, Oregon brings Willamette Valley representation through Gran Moraine, La Crema, and Siduri Pinot Noirs, and California flexes through the Orin Swift lineup and Napa Cabs. There's a French cameo from Gérard Bertrand in the Languedoc and Penfolds flying the Australian flag, so the list isn't purely domestic. Gaps exist — no real Italian depth, thin on Rhône or Burgundy — but for a steak-and-salmon crowd, the bases are covered without embarrassing anyone.
By the Glass
We don't have a confirmed glass count, but the presence of options like the Willamette Valley Vineyards White Pinot Noir and Oregon Blossom Sparkling Rosé suggests they're making an effort beyond the standard Cab-Chard-Pinot trio. The wine dinner program — featuring Orin Swift, Barrister, Rodney Strong, and Willamette Valley Vineyards — signals that the glass program probably rotates with some intention. Still, without a confirmed pour list, we're cautiously optimistic.
Ethos Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 2022 — null
A Washington Cab at a Spokane steakhouse is the home team playing on home turf. The Columbia Valley grows serious Cabernet and Ethos delivers structure and fruit that holds its own against the filet. Regional pick that makes sense on every level.
Willamette Valley Vineyards White Pinot Noir
Most people at a steakhouse will scroll straight past a White Pinot Noir without a second glance — and that's exactly why you should order it. It's a rare, elegant pour that works surprisingly well with the salmon and cuts through the richness of butter-forward dishes. It's the most interesting thing on this list.
Orin Swift Palermo Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Orin Swift makes flashy, highly-marketed wine that restaurants love to put on lists at a serious premium. The Palermo is a perfectly decent Napa Cab, but in a steakhouse setting you're almost certainly paying a steep markup on top of an already inflated retail price. The Ethos Cab does the same job for less damage.
Gran Moraine Pinot Noir + British Columbia Salmon
Gran Moraine is Willamette Valley Pinot at its most polished — bright acidity, red fruit, earthy depth. It's textbook with salmon: enough body to stand up to the fish, enough finesse not to steamroll it. This is the pairing that makes the wine list worth opening.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Clinkerdagger is a reliable wine play for a classic Spokane steakhouse night — solid regional selection, an active wine dinner program that shows genuine enthusiasm, and a few genuinely interesting pours hiding in the lineup. Just watch the markups on the prestige California bottles and you'll leave happy.
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