Hoboken and Jersey City are popular dining destinations in New Jersey. Not only are restaurants known for their diverse food selections, but there’s also no shortage of establishments with well-curated wine lists. Restaurants have also followed trends in the world of wine, such as natural wines – wines made without any additives – making the local wine experience more exploratory. Read on to find some of the restaurants with great wine lists in the Hoboken + Jersey City area.
Pro tips: Sometimes the size of the wine list can be overwhelming. We recommend starting with what you know, like the varietals or wine region, and it’s always helpful to ask the sommelier for recommendations that fit your budget.
Hoboken
Tray 14 | 1314 Washington Street
(Photo credit: @bin14winebar)
First opened in 2008, Bin 14 is Hoboken’s first wine bar and remains a hugely popular hangout for Italian-inspired tapas and aperitifs. The exceptional selection of sparkling wines pairs well with the cheese boards, bruschettas and pizzas. The red and white list mainly consists of Italian and French labels with a handful of bottles from Spain, Portugal and the New World. Plus, there’s a bottle list ($100 and up) that includes Napa Valley producers exclusively.
Court Street | 61 6th Street
Court Street, known for its seafood dishes and American classics, has been the winner of the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence since 2016. This award is given to restaurants offering a variety of great wines in multiple wine regions. Court Street’s wine list is rich in New World wines – it features California Cabernets and Merlot for the reds, as well as a variety of New Zealand, California and New York whites. After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the restaurant recently resumed its wine tasting events. At each session, guests taste ten wines from a selected vineyard.
Read more: Your guide to wineries + breweries near Hoboken + Jersey City
Del Frisco Grid | 221 River Street
(Photo credit: @dfgrille)
The wine list at this waterfront steakhouse has been a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence pick since 2016. In a 2018 blog post, Del Frisco’s vice president of beverages, Gretchen Thomas, wrote that when selecting new wines, she looks for three things: good value, the story behind the wine, and “something unique. which contributes to the whole wine list”. The wine list, with more than 300 bottles, gives pride of place to Californian selections. A bold, rich bottle, like a Cabernet or Malbec, goes well with a steak.
Great wine | 500 Grand Street
(Photo credit: @grandvinhoboken)
Grand Vin offers a menu that will appeal to everyone and features contemporary Italian and American dishes. The wine selection consists primarily of bottles from traditional wine regions of Italy, France and California. But more interestingly, there are a handful of bottles from the non-Californian United States, including a light and highly drinkable co-ferment of four grapes made in upstate New York (“Barry Family Cellars Four Track Demo Red Blend Finger Lakes”). Grand Vin also offers a house brand Chianti made from organically grown Sangiovese with hints of cinnamon and berries. The restaurant also organizes wine tastings.
Sorellina Italian Cuisine + Wine Bar | 1036 Washington Street
(Photo credit: @sorellinahoboken)
Sorellina, known for its simple and creative pasta dishes, offers an exclusive Italian wine program that has been recognized by Wine Spectator every year since 2017. It features a rotating selection of over 30 wines by the glass and over 120 labels offered at the bottle. This includes wines made from rare indigenous grape varieties produced by small winemakers, as well as a “Riserva” list which indicates superior quality. The wine list is organized by style rather than by country or region. “If you know you generally like full-bodied reds with ripe fruit, you should choose from our ‘Full and Fruity’ section. Our staff are also very knowledgeable about our list and can always help with recommendations,” said owner and sommelier Gabi Lombardi. The hoboken girl. The restaurant frequently organizes wine dinners with Italian producers – the next one will be on June 15 with a producer from the Veneto region. Sorellina also offers daily food and wine pairings.
City of Jersey
Battello | 502 Washington Blvd.
(Photo credit: @battellojc)
This fine-dining restaurant serves Italian-influenced dishes and is particularly strong on seafood. The wine program has been a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence pick since 2014 (except in 2017 and 2018 when the restaurant was closed due to the pier repair). interview, owner and director of wines, Cory Checket, said Battello offers a lower-than-average profit margin and a variety of bottle formats, including magnums and half bottles. The diverse selection includes wines with significant age, such as vintages dating back to the 1980s; wines from organic producers and family wine estates; and wines from not only famous wine regions of Italy, France and California, but also South Africa, Switzerland, Lebanon, Austria and Greece.
The Source Bistro | 85 Morris Street
(Photo credit: @bistrolasource)
Bistro La Source, a popular French restaurant, has an extensive wine list. Owner Bill Spitz helps curate the menu with hand-picked wine selections. With over 60 bottles of wine to choose from, the menu highlights regions from Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal and, of course, France. There are also a few New World wines dotted around – there’s even a Riesling from Seneca Lake, New York.
Learn more: Where to find Rooftop Bars in Northern New Jersey
Frankie | 264 Grove Street
(Photo credit: @frankieeatsjc)
This hugely popular Aussie-style cafe draws inspiration from cuisines around the world and offers creative dishes such as fish curry, lamb kofta and kimchi fried chicken. But what sets it apart from other cafes is its wine-focused natural wine program. Natural wine refers to a trending style of winemaking that involves organic farming and minimal intervention (i.e. no or minimal sulfites or other additives). The menu includes a wide variety of Australian wines, as well as bottles from famous wine regions in Europe and South Africa. We recommend a highly aromatic Australian Grenache for the red or a bright, floral Savagnin for the white.
Door | 135 Newark Avenue
(Photo credit: @portajerseycity)
The restaurant prepares excellent Neapolitan-style pizzas as well as creative Italian dishes that change according to the season. The small but mighty wine list features mostly labels from Italy’s famous wine regions. Some notable items include a fresh and fragrant Nebbiolo from Piedmont that makes a great pasta wine, and a crisp and zesty Vermentino from Sardinia that pairs beautifully with fish or cheese.
Bistro Satis | 212 Washington Street
(Photo credit: @satisbistrojc)
This chic bistro serves seasonal southern European dishes such as pasta, grilled fish and steak frites. The wine list offers an excellent French selection which includes bottles from, among others, the Loire, Burgundy, Rhône and Bordeaux. A Sauvignon Blanc goes well with the restaurant’s many fish dishes and a Pinot Noir is excellent with the cheese platter.
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