San Francisco

Spruce is the rare restaurant where the wine list is genuinely as good as the kitchen, and the Monday half-price bottle program alone is worth bookmarking. Send your friends here — but tell them to skip the Caymus.

Saison has held a Wine Spectator Grand Award since 2014 and Danielle Palombi's team earns it every year — this is one of the finest wine programs on the West Coast, full stop. Pricing is steep across the board, but Wednesday half-price night and a staff that actually wants to help you find something great make this worth every reservation attempt.

Gary Danko has held a Wine Spectator Grand Award since 2001 for good reason — this is one of the deepest, most seriously curated wine programs in California, staffed by people who actually know what's in the cellar. The markup runs steep, but when the list includes DRC and Henri Jayer, you're not here for bargains.

Lazy Bear is the real deal — a tasting-menu destination that treats the wine program as a co-equal to the food, not an afterthought. If you're going to splurge on dinner in San Francisco, this is one of the few places where the bottle list justifies the occasion.

Acquerello is the real thing — a serious Italian wine program in a room that takes both the food and the bottle equally seriously. The markups will sting if you're not prepared, but Monday's half-price night is one of the best deals in San Francisco dining, full stop.