Wednesday Bottles Save This Beach List
Jacksonville Beach · Jacksonville · Seafood
Reviewed April 24, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Ashley's reads like a greatest hits compilation from the grocery store wine aisle — Cakebread, Kim Crawford, Meiomi, Duckhorn Decoy. You know exactly what you're getting before the server opens their mouth. It's not offensive, but it's not trying very hard either.
The list leans heavily on crowd-pleasing California and Washington producers with zero surprises — nothing from the Old World, no esoteric picks, no regional curiosity. Chateau Ste. Michelle and La Crema do the heavy lifting on the approachable end, while Cakebread and Stag's Leap Artemis anchor the higher tier. It's a list designed to make people comfortable, not curious. If you came hoping to find something you haven't seen on every other restaurant list in Florida, keep walking.
The glass program runs the usual suspects — La Crema Chardonnay, Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, Duckhorn Decoy Cab, Stag's Leap Artemis for the splurgers. Counts are unknown but the selection maps to maybe six to eight pours at best. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority here.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Merlot 2022 — $48/bottle
At 140% markup it's the least punishing bottle on the list — and on a Wednesday at half price, you're paying close to retail for a solid Washington Merlot that holds its own next to a bowl of shrimp and grits.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Yes, it's $22 a glass and yes, the markup stings. But Artemis is a genuinely well-made Napa Cab that most beach-town lists wouldn't bother stocking — if you're treating yourself at a seafood dinner and want something with actual depth, this is the one.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2023
Fourteen dollars a glass for a wine you can buy at Publix for $18 a bottle is a 389% markup on something that tastes like it came from a Publix. Save it for the grocery run.
La Crema Monterey Chardonnay 2022 + Grilled Grouper
La Crema's cooler-climate Monterey fruit keeps the Chardonnay bright enough to not bulldoze a delicate grilled grouper — it's the safest, most logical glass on the menu for the house seafood.
Wednesday — Half-price bottles of wine all day and night, dine-in only. Excludes corkage and certain wines.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Ashley's isn't a wine destination, but the Wednesday half-price bottle deal flips a steep list into a genuinely good reason to show up hungry on a midweek night. Come for the seafood, order the Merlot, and don't overthink it.
Avondale · Jacksonville · French-American Bistro
Orsay is the kind of neighborhood restaurant Jacksonville doesn't have enough of — a French-leaning wine program with fair prices, real selections, and a room that earns a second visit. Send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Southside / St. Johns Town Center · Jacksonville · Contemporary American, wood-fired grill
J. Alexander's Jacksonville is a place that takes its steaks seriously and its wine list as an afterthought. If you're here for a business dinner or a reliable wood-fired meal, you'll drink fine — just don't expect to be surprised, and try not to look too hard at the markup on the Kendall-Jackson.
Crowd Pleasers
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Jacksonville Beach · Jacksonville · Modern Japanese / Sushi
O-Ku Jacksonville Beach is a genuinely nice spot to drink well with sushi, especially if you lean into the sake program where the real effort has been made. The wine list is respectable but unremarkable — and markups across the board mean you'll want to choose your battles.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Jacksonville Beach / Ponte Vedra · Jacksonville · Upscale New American with French and Mediterranean Influences
Restaurant Medure is the best wine list you're likely to encounter between Savannah and Orlando — serious producers, proper storage, a sommelier who knows the cellar, and glassware that respects what's in it. The markups are steep and the list plays it safe stylistically, but if you're celebrating something and want Bordeaux with your filet, this is the room.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Intracoastal West / Beach Blvd · Jacksonville · Contemporary American Seafood
Marker 32 is a beautiful room with a wine list that plays it completely safe — you won't drink badly, but you won't discover anything either. Send a friend here for the scallops and the Intracoastal view, and tell them to order the Chardonnay.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Riverside / Five Points · Jacksonville · Modern American / Southern-influenced
Black Sheep is exactly what a neighborhood restaurant wine list should be — fair prices, enough variety to reward curiosity, and no obvious embarrassments. We'd send a friend here for wine without hesitation, especially if they're sitting on that rooftop.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Lakeland · Lakeland · Seafood
Red Lobster's wine list does its job in the narrowest possible sense — it gives people something to drink. But there's no value play here, no curiosity, no effort. Order the cocktail or a beer and spend your wine money somewhere that earned it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Polk Parkway / South Lakeland · Lakeland · Seafood
Bonefish Grill Lakeland won't blow any wine enthusiast's mind, but it's a functional, inoffensive list with a social hour that softens the markup sting enough to make it worthwhile. Come for the Bang Bang Shrimp, grab a glass of Chandon, and set your expectations accordingly.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
West New Braunfels · New Braunfels · Seafood
The Reel isn't a wine destination, but it earns serious respect for sneaking Dutton Goldfield onto a po'boy menu and running Wine Wednesday like it means it. Come on a Wednesday, order the Pinot, and be pleasantly confused about where you are.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.