McCormick & Schmick's Grill
Chainsaw Charm With a Decent Pour
Tigard · Portland · Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 10, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at McCormick & Schmick's doesn't try to surprise you — and honestly, that's fine. It's a chain seafood house doing chain seafood house things, but the by-the-glass pricing is genuinely hard to argue with. You flip open the menu expecting to get gouged and instead find $7 pours of wines that retail for double digits.
Selection Deep Dive
The list runs 60-100 bottles deep and sticks firmly to recognizable West Coast and New World names: California, Washington, Oregon, New Zealand, and Argentina make up the bulk of it. Entry-level crowd-pleasers like Mark West Pinot Noir and Sterling Merlot anchor the accessible end, while Caymus, Duckhorn, Stags' Leap, and a trio of Orin Swift bottles (8 Years in the Desert, Abstract, Palermo) give the list a bit of ambition at the top. There are no real deep-cuts or obscure producers here — this list is built for the person who wants something familiar and good with their Dungeness crab, not the person hunting for a grower Champagne. The gap between the everyday pours and the premium bottles is wide, with not much interesting territory in between.
By the Glass
The by-the-glass program splits into a standard tier around $7 and a premium tier around $9, with 10+ options total — solid coverage for a seafood-focused menu. You'll find Acrobat Pinot Gris, Bonterra Chardonnay, and Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling doing the heavy lifting alongside the fish. Rotation appears minimal — this reads more like a set program than one that changes with the seasons.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $7
Retails for $9 and you're paying $7 a glass at a restaurant — that math almost never works in your favor. It's an off-dry Washington Riesling that's a natural with oysters on the half shell, and at this price you're not sweating whether to order a second pour.
Orin Swift 8 Years in the Desert
Most people at a chain seafood spot are reaching for the Chardonnay or Pinot Noir and leaving the Orin Swift bottles untouched. 8 Years in the Desert is a Zinfandel-forward blend that's bold enough to stand up to cedar-plank salmon glazed with something sweet or smoky — it's the most interesting bottle on the list and it tends to get ignored.
Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio
At $7 a glass it's technically priced fine, but Ecco Domani is grocery store Pinot Grigio with a restaurant markup applied to something that should cost less than a coffee. With Acrobat Pinot Gris sitting right next to it for $9, there's no reason to settle.
Acrobat Pinot Gris + Fresh fish of the day
Oregon Pinot Gris has the weight to hold its own against a seared or pan-roasted daily fish without walking all over it. Acrobat is crisp with a bit of texture, and at $9 a glass it's the kind of pairing that makes the whole meal click without any effort.
✔️ The Bottom Line
McCormick & Schmick's isn't where you go to geek out on wine, but the by-the-glass pricing is legitimately fair and the list has just enough range to handle a solid seafood dinner. Send your parents here; just steer them away from the Ecco Domani.
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