Higgins
Portland's Farm-to-Table Anchor Earns Its Wine Cred
Downtown · Portland · Northwest · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Three hundred to four hundred bottles at a farm-to-table spot in downtown Portland — that's not a wine list, that's a commitment. The list leans hard into Willamette Valley and Pacific Northwest producers, which feels right for a restaurant that built its identity around local sourcing. There's also a serious fortified wine section that most places wouldn't have the nerve to carry.
Selection Deep Dive
The backbone is exactly what you'd want: Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Pacific Northwest whites, and a Burgundy and Rhône section that shows someone actually studied a map of France. The fortified wine program — Madeira, Port, and local dessert wines — is genuinely rare for a restaurant of this type and price point. The Capitello 'Dolcino' Muscat from Oregon rounds out a dessert wine selection that could easily anchor its own après-dinner conversation. Gaps are hard to spot; this list has clearly been tended to, not just assembled.
By the Glass
Fifteen to twenty pours by the glass is a healthy number, and with a sommelier on staff, the rotation feels intentional rather than accidental. The fortified options available by the glass — including the Leacock's Madeira and Dow's LBV Port — are a genuine differentiator. Most Portland restaurants make you commit to a bottle for that category; Higgins lets you explore.
Leacock's 5 Year Madeira — $10
Ten dollars for a proper glass of aged Madeira is almost embarrassing in the best way. This is a style most diners never think to order, and at this price it's a no-brainer — especially with anything chocolatey on the dessert menu.
Capitello 'Dolcino' Muscat 2022
Oregon dessert Muscat at $12.50 a glass doesn't get the attention it deserves. Most people skip to a digestif, but this local bottling is the kind of thing you'd see on a list twice the price somewhere in San Francisco — order it before everyone else figures that out.
Dow's 2017 LBV Port
Not bad wine — Dow's is reliable — but at $13 a glass for a Late Bottled Vintage Port that retails around $20 a bottle, the math starts to sting a little. When the Madeira is sitting right next to it at $10, the Port feels like a step in the wrong direction on value.
Leacock's 5 Year Madeira + Chocolate Tahini Babka
Madeira's natural acidity and oxidative nuttiness cut right through the richness of chocolate and tahini without getting overwhelmed by sweetness. It's the kind of pairing a sommelier quietly recommends to people who are willing to listen.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Higgins is the kind of place that earns repeat visits on the wine list alone — deep, locally rooted, and priced like they actually want you to order a second glass. Send your friends here without hesitation.
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