Glamorous Room, California-Heavy List, Steep Pours
Downtown / Marina District · San Diego · Asian-inspired steakhouse / contemporary Asian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 21, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Animae’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Animae, the wine list feels like it was dressed for the occasion — sleek, curated, and very aware of how good-looking it is. California dominates, which makes sense for a San Diego room this polished, but the price tags arrive before the food and they don't apologize for it. This is a place where the wine program is an extension of the vibe, not a standalone reason to come.
The list leans hard into California, with premium selections anchoring the bottle section — think Opus One territory, not your neighborhood wine shop. European representation exists but plays second fiddle, and the overall range lands in that frustrating zone where there's enough to look impressive but not enough depth to get genuinely excited. There's no real dig-around-and-find-something-weird energy here; it's a greatest hits collection aimed squarely at a crowd ordering A5 wagyu. The sake program running alongside wine is a smart call for the kitchen's flavor profile, but it means wine doesn't get the full real estate it deserves.
Twelve to sixteen options by the glass is a respectable spread, covering sparkling, white, rosé, and red without leaving any category stranded. Prices run $16–$28 a pour, which is the going rate for Downtown San Diego at this tier but still stings when you're three rounds in. The Loring Wine Co. Pinot Noir showing up on the by-the-glass list is the most interesting move here — it's a name that signals someone on staff actually thought about what goes in the glass.
Loring Wine Co. Pinot Noir — $22
Loring makes genuinely expressive, fruit-forward Pinot from some of California's better coastal sites. Getting it by the glass at a steakhouse that could easily be pushing something forgettable is a small win — it's the pour that earns its price rather than just justifying it.
Loring Wine Co. Pinot Noir
Most tables here are ordering Cabernet or going straight to the Opus One showpiece. The Loring Pinot is the quiet overachiever on this list — lighter, more versatile with the Asian-influenced small plates, and not priced like it has something to prove.
Dom Pérignon
At $450 on the list against a retail of around $230, you're paying nearly double just for the privilege of drinking it here. Dom is never a bad time, but a 95% markup is a hard sell when you could walk out with two bottles for the same money. Order the Loring and pocket the difference.
Loring Wine Co. Pinot Noir + Robata-grilled skewers
The smoke and char from the robata grill need something with enough fruit to stand up but enough acidity to cut through the fat. Loring's Pinot hits that balance — it doesn't fight the seasoning the way a heavy Cab would, and it actually makes the skewers taste like more.
The Bottom Line
Animae delivers a polished, well-maintained wine program that does its job in a room this expensive — but the markups on prestige bottles are aggressive enough that you'll want to stay strategic. Stick to the by-the-glass program and let the kitchen take center stage.
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
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Basic Stemmed
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Occasional
Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Downtown · San Diego · Hotel lounge
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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