Sacramento

The Kitchen is the real deal — a Sacramento restaurant with a wine list that could hold its own in San Francisco or Napa without apology. Come Wednesday, come hungry, and let Joseph Chima point you somewhere you haven't been before.

The Firehouse is the kind of wine program that reminds you Sacramento has been doing this longer than most cities want to admit. Come with an appetite, bring a credit card you're not afraid of, and let the sommelier team actually earn their keep.

Ella is doing everything right in a city that doesn't always get enough wine credit — a deep, well-kept list, a knowledgeable sommelier, and a room worthy of the bottle you're about to open. Yes, send your friends here for wine.

Allora is quietly doing some of the most serious Italian and Greek wine work in Sacramento, backed by a knowledgeable team and a cellar that punches well above the city's weight class. If you care about what's in your glass, this is the room to be in.