The North Point

You walk into a dimly lit tapas bar on Silver Street, red lamps bouncing off a tin ceiling, and then you see the wine list — 85 labels deep with a genuinely weird and wonderful dessert wine section that you absolutely did not expect. This is not the list a casual bar throws together. Someone here cares, and it shows from the first page.

The North Point runs a globally minded list that doesn't apologize for going off-script. Yes, there are the expected dry wines from across the map, but the real story is the commitment to fortified and dessert categories — Port, Madeira, Sherry, Muscat, Tokaji, and Austrian producer Steindorfer all make appearances, which is basically unheard of for a small-plates spot in Maine. The bottle range ($35–$120) is approachable without feeling like they're padding the cheap end with junk. Where they've splurged on the list, like Kosta Browne and Flowers from the Sonoma Coast, markups clock in at 38–42% over retail — reasonable by any restaurant standard, especially for wines that usually get squeezed harder.

Over 30 by-the-glass options is a serious number — most restaurants with a sommelier on staff don't even get close. Pours run $10–$16, which keeps things accessible without signaling that corners are being cut on what's in the bottle. We'd love to know how frequently the list rotates, but the sheer volume suggests there's always something worth trying on any given night.