Santana Row's Most Serious Wine Room
Santana Row · San Jose · Californian, Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Augustine’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list lands on the table with the kind of weight that tells you this place takes things seriously. Four hundred-plus selections across California, France, and Italy — this isn't a restaurant that added wine as an afterthought. Wine Spectator handed Augustine a Best of Award of Excellence in 2025, and a quick scan of the list tells you why.
California is the anchor here, and it holds strong — Kistler Chardonnay, Ridge Monte Bello, Caymus Special Selection, and Opus One all show up, covering everything from precision-driven whites to the kind of Napa Cabernet that closes deals. France gets proper attention too, with Louis Jadot Burgundy and Château Léoville-Barton flying the flag for Bordeaux. Italy earns its seat at the table with Antinori Tignanello and Gaja Barbaresco — two wines that could anchor any serious enoteca. The only gap worth noting: if you're hunting for natural wine or anything left-field, this list isn't your playground.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a serious program — not just the usual Chardonnay-Cab-Pinot trio. The $12–$25 range gives you enough room to step up without committing to a bottle, which we appreciate on a weeknight. We'd love to see more rotation, but the selection depth here beats most Santana Row neighbors by a wide margin.
Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot — $45+
Duckhorn Merlot punches well above its category — this is the wine that made people fall back in love with Merlot post-Sideways, and at the entry point of Augustine's bottle range, it's the smart call for a table that wants something California and crowd-pleasing without blowing the budget on Opus One.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir
Everyone at this table is going to reach for the California reds or the Burgundy by reflex, which means Domaine Drouhin Oregon almost always gets skipped. That's a mistake — it's a Burgundian producer making Oregon Pinot with serious intention, and it tends to be priced more modestly than the French stuff it quietly outperforms.
Opus One
It's a landmark wine and there's nothing wrong with it — but Opus One is one of the most marked-up bottles in America, and you're paying a significant premium for the name recognition. The Ridge Monte Bello will give you a more interesting drinking experience at a lower price, full stop.
Antinori Tignanello + Braised Short Rib
Tignanello is a Sangiovese-Cabernet blend built for exactly this kind of situation — the acidity cuts through the richness of braised short rib while the dark fruit and structure match the depth of the dish. It's a classic pairing that works because both the wine and the food are operating at the same level.
The Bottom Line
Augustine is the real deal for San Jose — a deep, credentialed list with two sommeliers on staff and the bones to back up its Best of Award of Excellence. Markups aren't shy, but if you're coming here for a special occasion, the quality justifies the spend.
Santana Row · San Jose · Modern Mediterranean
MESO's wine list is small, but it earns its keep by staying on-theme and keeping prices from going completely sideways. The Torres Albariño and Feudo Montoni are genuine finds at the lower end of the price range, and the happy hour window Monday through Friday gives you a legitimate reason to show up early. If you want a deep cellar or an adventurous natural wine program, look elsewhere — but if you want a glass that actually fits what's on your plate at a fair price, this list delivers.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· San Jose · Wine Bar
Rootstock is doing something genuinely uncommon for San Jose: building a wine list with a real perspective, fair prices, and enough depth to reward repeat visits. The pét-nat and multi-vintage Reeve presence alone put it ahead of most dedicated wine bars in the Bay. If you care about what's in your glass, this place deserves your attention.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Jose · Steakhouse
The Capital Grille San Jose is a reliable but unambitious wine program — it stocks the bottles a Napa-loving business dinner crowd expects and prices them accordingly. If you're looking for discovery or value, you won't find much here; if you need a solid Cab to go with a dry-aged steak and you're on someone else's tab, it does the job.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Jose · Italian
A Bellagio is doing something right: a 65-bottle Italian-leaning list with 19 glass options, fair pricing, and enough regional Italian depth to make the wine order as interesting as the food order. Staff confidence and dish data are unknowns from where we sit, but the list itself is worth showing up for — especially if you let the Montecucco Sangiovese talk you into a second glass.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Jose · New American
Orchard City Kitchen's all-glass wine program is a smart move that forces the list to work harder — and mostly it does. The selection punches above its weight with picks from Talley, August West, Tablas Creek, and J. Lassalle sharing space with genuinely interesting European pours. If you're in San Jose and want to drink something more interesting than the usual Cab-or-Chardonnay binary, this list gives you real options.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Jose · Japanese
Ozumo pulls off something most restaurants don't bother attempting: a tight, curated by-the-glass program that actually reflects a point of view. The Loire and Burgundy presence alongside skin-contact Pinot Gris and volcanic Soave tells you someone made real choices here. If you're eating Japanese and want to drink something more interesting than the house Pinot Noir, this list delivers — especially in that $13–$19 range.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Gaslamp Quarter · San Diego · Californian, Mediterranean
Callie is the rare San Diego restaurant where the wine list is a genuine destination, not an afterthought — the Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator is earned, not ceremonial. If you're in the Gaslamp and care about what's in your glass, this is where you go.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Redlands · Redlands · Californian, Mediterranean
Caprice Café is the kind of wine list that makes you reassess what a neighborhood bistro can be — a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence in downtown Redlands, with half-price Wednesdays, serious California depth, and bottles that reward a real drinker. Yes, we'd send a friend here.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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