Canlis

The wine list at Canlis lands on the table like a small novel — ~1,800 selections deep, organized with the kind of care that tells you immediately this place is serious. It's not trying to impress you with its weight alone; the curation is tight, intentional, and built around a team of five sommeliers who clearly know every page. This is what a Grand Award looks like in practice, not just on a plaque.

Burgundy is the undisputed anchor — Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Leroy Domaine d'Auvenay, Domaine Leflaive — these aren't names restaurants drop casually, and Canlis doesn't treat them casually. California heavyweights like Screaming Eagle, Kistler, Marcassin, and Sine Qua Non sit alongside serious Washington representation from Quilceda Creek and Cayuse, which is exactly the kind of local pride a Seattle institution should have. Bordeaux and Rhône round out the Old World muscle, with Château Pétrus and Chateau Rayas anchoring those sections respectively, while Champagne fans will find Jacques Selosse — not a name you stumble across at just any restaurant. The only honest critique: at this price tier, you're going to pay for all of it.

With 20–30 pours rotating through the by-the-glass program, Canlis isn't just offering a perfunctory glass of Cab and calling it a night. The range tracks the depth of the bottle list, meaning you're likely to find something genuinely interesting — not just crowd-pleasers — even if you're splitting a tasting menu and just want one well-chosen pour. The sommelier team actively manages this program, so what's on the list today may well be something better next week.