The Farmhouse Kitchen
Local Ingredients, Big-Box Wine List
East Manchester · Manchester · Farm-to-Table · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 19, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The Farmhouse Kitchen nails the cozy, rustic aesthetic — reclaimed wood, warm lighting, menu that talks about local farms. Then you open the wine list and it's like the restaurant forgot to apply that same care to what's in your glass. Forty labels sounds decent until you realize you've seen this exact list at every mid-range chain in a fifty-mile radius.
Selection Deep Dive
California dominates so completely here that calling it a 'wine list' feels generous — it's more of a greatest hits album from the grocery store shelf. La Crema, Meiomi, Josh Cellars: these are fine wines, but they're also wines your guests already know from the supermarket, which makes the markups sting even more. There's no adventure here, no nod to the Old World, no natural wine curiosity, nothing that reflects the farm-to-table ethos the kitchen is clearly trying to build. A restaurant that cares enough to source local produce should care enough to find a producer doing something interesting.
By the Glass
Eight by-the-glass options sounds workable, but when the pours are predictable California crowd-pleasers at $10–$16 a stem, you're not getting much for your money relative to what's actually in the glass. There's no rotation we can identify, no seasonal program, no indication anyone is revisiting these selections with any regularity. Order a cocktail if you're just having one drink.
La Crema Chardonnay 2022 — $42
It's the least offensive option on the list — at least La Crema is a recognizable, consistent producer. Still a 110% markup over retail, so 'best value' here is purely relative. If you're splitting a bottle, this is your safest bet.
Meiomi Pinot Noir 2021
Most people overlook Meiomi as a supermarket brand, and they're not wrong — but it's an easy-drinking, fruit-forward Pinot that holds its own in a casual setting. If the table is ordering the pan-seared scallops and the wood-fired pizza, this is a crowd-pleasing pour that won't offend anyone.
Meiomi Pinot Noir 2021
Wait — yes, it's both the hidden gem and the skip. Here's the thing: at $48 a bottle for a wine that retails for $22, you're paying a 118% markup on something you could grab at the gas station on the way home. Order it by the glass if you must, but don't commit to a full bottle at this price.
La Crema Chardonnay 2022 + Pan-Seared Scallops
La Crema's California Chardonnay brings enough oak and butter to mirror the richness of pan-seared scallops without steamrolling them. It's a predictable pairing, but predictable works here — and it's the best option the list gives you for a seafood dish.
❌ The Bottom Line
The Farmhouse Kitchen is clearly a restaurant that cares about its food, which makes the wine list feel like an afterthought — stocked with safe, heavily marked-up California labels that could've been chosen by anyone with a distributor catalog and no particular curiosity. Order the scallops, enjoy the atmosphere, and save your wine enthusiasm for a restaurant that returns the favor.
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