Blood & Sand

Walking into Blood & Sand, you immediately sense this is not a restaurant where the wine list was an afterthought. The parlor-dark atmosphere sets expectations high, and the list — 200-plus bottles deep with a named sommelier behind it — delivers. Wine Spectator has handed them a Best of Award of Excellence every year since 2022, and one look at the lineup tells you why.

California, Washington, and Italy are the three pillars here, and each one is built with real intention. On the California side you've got Ridge Monte Bello and Stag's Leap Cask 23 sharing space with Kosta Browne Pinot Noir and Caymus Cab — a range that covers the collector and the casual drinker alike. The Italian corner punches hardest: Antinori Tignanello and Gaja Barbaresco on the same list in Saint Louis is a genuine flex. Washington gets its due with K Vintners Syrah and Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling rounding out a Pacific Northwest chapter that most Midwest restaurants completely ignore. There are gaps — the Southern Hemisphere is pretty quiet and Burgundy lovers may want more — but the depth where it counts is hard to argue with.

Twenty to thirty pours by the glass at $12–$18 is a genuinely good program for a city where most restaurants consider six options a full list. The range tracks the bottle list well, meaning you can get a real taste of what Washington or California has to offer without committing to a full bottle. We'd love to see the rotation turn more frequently, but what's here is well above average.