Thomas Keller goes casual, wine follows suit
Yountville · Napa · American comfort food / family-style · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 13, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Ad Hoc’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Ad Hoc, you know you're in Keller country — the wine list has the same buttoned-up California confidence as everything else here. It's not trying to be French Laundry's cellar, but it's not pretending to be a neighborhood bistro either. This is a grown-up list for a restaurant that happens to serve fried chicken on communal plates.
The 100-150 bottle list leans hard into California, which makes sense when you're sitting in the middle of Napa Valley. Napa and Sonoma dominate, with Peay Vineyards representing the cooler Sonoma Coast and Stags Leap doing the expected Napa Chardonnay work. The Modicum label — which appears in multiple formats including a magnum — feels like the house darling, showing up across red, rosé, and by-the-glass slots. What you won't find is much depth outside of California; if you came looking for a Burgundy rabbit hole or an aged Barolo, this isn't your list.
The glass program runs 10-16 options priced between $15 and $35, which in Yountville is basically table stakes. The Domaine Carneros Blanc de Noir by the glass is a smart anchor — good fizz without the full-bottle commitment. The Modicum Red Blend also pours by the glass, which gives you an accessible entry point into the list's signature label before committing to a bottle.
Domaine Carneros Blanc de Noir NV — $15-$20/glass
Carneros sparkling at a reasonable pour price is rare in Yountville. It's bright, food-friendly, and does real work alongside the family-style format — especially if the table can't agree on red vs. white.
Peay Vineyards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2023
Peay is one of the most serious Sonoma Coast producers and flies under the radar compared to flashier Napa names. On a list that trends toward Napa power, this is the cool-climate outlier that actually makes sense with comfort food — enough acid and structure to cut through pot roast without overwhelming it.
Stags Leap Wine Cellars 'Karia' Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2023
Karia is a perfectly fine Chardonnay, but it's one of the most restaurant-ubiquitous bottles in California. You'll pay a Napa markup on something you can find at every mid-tier steakhouse in the country. The glass program gives you better options for the money.
Modicum Red Blend, Napa Valley + Pot roast
A Napa red blend has the body and dark fruit to stand up to braised beef without the tannin grip of a straight Cabernet. The Modicum is approachable enough that it won't fight the dish — it just makes the whole table feel like the right call.
The Bottom Line
Ad Hoc's wine list is exactly what you'd expect from a Thomas Keller casual concept: well-curated, California-centric, and priced for people who didn't blink at the reservation. It won't blow your mind, but it'll hold its own against the fried chicken.
St. Helena · Napa · Wine Bar
Elsewhere is doing something genuinely useful in St. Helena — keeping the lights on after dinner and keeping the list interesting enough to justify the detour. We need more time with the actual list before we'd call it a must, but the bones are right.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Napa Valley · Napa · Hotel Restaurant / New American
The Elene is doing something genuinely uncommon for a Napa hotel restaurant: it's built a wine list with a real perspective. Pricing is fair, the whites and sparkling section is worth the visit on its own, and if you're tired of being handed the same Napa Cab lineup every time you sit down, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Napa Valley · Napa · Hotel Bar / Lounge
In the heart of Napa Valley, this hotel lounge has assembled a seven-bottle list with zero local wines and markups that would make a Vegas pool bar blush — order a cocktail and wait until dinner. There are better places to drink wine within walking distance of almost anywhere in this region.
Plays It Safe
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
St. Helena · Napa · Resort Restaurant / Contemporary American
Meadowood's wine program is doing exactly what it should at this price point — a focused, deeply intelligent list with real range and the staff to back it up. The markups are steep because the room is expensive, but if you're already here, drink well and don't second-guess it.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Napa · Wine Bar / Contemporary American
Napa Kitchen & Wine earns its place as a solid, unfussy option for anyone who wants a wide glass selection and fair pricing without committing to a bottle — just don't come here expecting to discover anything. It's a reliable pour, not a destination.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Napa · Napa · California / Hotel Restaurant
BANK is a reliable spot to drink well enough in a comfortable setting — the sommelier presence and Napa-forward list keep it from being a lazy hotel afterthought. Just don't expect to be surprised, and don't be shocked when the markup reminds you this is a Westin.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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