Watami
Great Sushi, Forgettable Wine List
East Bayside · Portland · Japanese · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 14, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walking into Watami, the focus is clearly on the fish — and rightfully so. But when you flip to the wine list, the enthusiasm drops fast. What you find is a short roster of grocery-store staples priced like they have a Michelin star.
Selection Deep Dive
The list gestures toward some interesting territory — there's reportedly an Oregon Pinot Gris and a Grüner Veltliner in the mix, which would actually make sense alongside Japanese food. But they're surrounded by bulk-brand filler like Coastal Ridge Cabernet and Gemma Di Luna Pinot Grigio, bottles you'd find on an end-cap at Hannaford for $10. The sake program is presumably where the real effort lives, and honestly that tracks for a Japanese restaurant — we just wish the wine side showed the same intentionality. Alsace and Austria are smart directions for this cuisine; the execution just doesn't follow through.
By the Glass
There are somewhere between four and eight pours available by the glass, but the options skew heavily toward crowd-pleasing brands that prioritize name recognition over quality. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc appears to be the most credible pour on the glass list, which tells you something about the ceiling here. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority — what's on now is probably what was on six months ago.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc — $30
At roughly 50% over retail, this is the least egregious markup on the list. It's not exciting, but it's a known quantity, and the bright citrus and herbaceous snap holds up reasonably well against lighter sushi preparations.
Grüner Veltliner
Most people at a Japanese restaurant will default to sake or reach for the Pinot Grigio without thinking. The Grüner Veltliner — if you can track it down on the list — is the smarter call. Its peppery, mineral-driven profile is a genuinely good match for clean fish flavors, and it's not a bottle your tablemates will have already ordered a hundred times.
Coastal Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon
This is a $10 retail bottle being sold for $30, and it has no business being anywhere near a plate of sushi. The markup is aggressive, the wine is anonymous, and the pairing logic simply doesn't exist. Order sake instead.
Oregon Pinot Gris + Maine Crab Roll
Oregon Pinot Gris brings enough weight to complement the sweet, delicate crab without steamrolling it, and the subtle stone fruit and creamy texture play well against the rice and any light seasoning. It's the one pairing on this list that actually makes geographic and flavor sense.
❌ The Bottom Line
Watami is worth visiting for the sushi — the Maine crab roll alone makes the trip — but the wine list is an afterthought dressed up with steep markups. Do yourself a favor and lean into the sake program, or bring your own bottle if corkage is an option.
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