Anaheim's Smartest Wine Stop, No Pretense
Anaheim · Anaheim · Wine bar / small plates · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 16, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Colony Wine Merchant’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walking into a wine merchant in Anaheim — yes, Anaheim — and finding Zuccardi Cab Franc and a Côtes du Rhône from Domaine de Cristia on the same list as Duckhorn is a genuine surprise. This isn't a theme park gift shop wine list. Someone here actually cares.
Twenty labels isn't a lot, but Colony uses every slot with intent. The California contingent leans on recognizable names — Duckhorn, Oberon, GunBun — but there's real international texture here: a Lucci Lambrusco Secco from Italy, Broadbent Vinho Verde from Portugal, Zuccardi Q Cab Franc from Argentina's Mendoza, and a Château Grand-Jauga Sauternes that you almost never see at a casual wine bar. The Westhoff Pioneers FRA at $92 is the list's one big swing, and the Solar Fortun Petit Verdot signals that whoever built this list isn't just chasing crowd-pleasing varietals. Gaps exist — Burgundy and Barolo fans will come up empty — but for the size, the range earns respect.
All 20 bottles are available by the glass, which is an unusual and generous approach that makes Colony feel more like a tasting room than a bar. Prices run $12 to $28, with the Duckhorn trio anchoring the upper end and the Dow's Tawny Port and Château Grand-Jauga Sauternes rounding things out at the sweet and fortified end. That kind of range in a pour — bubbles to dessert wine — is exactly what a merchant-style concept should deliver.
Broadbent Vinho Verde — $44
Vinho Verde is one of the most food-friendly, sessionable whites on the planet, and at $44 a bottle it's hard to argue with. Clean, low-alcohol, goes with almost anything on a small plates menu. Don't overthink it.
Zuccardi Q Cabernet Franc
Most people walking into a wine bar in Orange County are reaching for Cabernet Sauvignon. Skip the line and grab this Mendoza Cab Franc from one of Argentina's most serious estates. It's structured and savory in a way that the Napa options on this list simply aren't.
GunBun Cabernet Sauvignon
Gundlach Bundschu makes solid wine, but at $60 a bottle you're paying a merchant premium for something you could find at a grocery store for $20. With Duckhorn Estate Cab on the list at $28 a glass, the GunBun bottle deal doesn't really hold up.
Domaine de Cristia Côtes du Rhône + Charcuterie board
A Grenache-forward Rhône blend is built for cured meats and aged cheeses — the earthy, peppery notes cut through fat and salt without overwhelming anything on the board. It's the most crowd-pleasing smart pick on this list.
The Bottom Line
Colony Wine Merchant is the Wild Card Anaheim didn't know it needed — a thoughtful, fairly priced list with genuine international reach tucked into a city better known for theme parks. If you're in the area and want a real glass of wine, this is the move.
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Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Fleming's Anaheim is a chain doing the wine bar thing earnestly — 42 by-the-glass options and a few genuinely interesting bottles buried in a mostly crowd-pleasing list. Markups run steep, but if you know where to look, you can drink well here without overpaying.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Catal is doing the best version of a tourist-district wine list — which still means it's playing not to lose rather than to win. If you're here for a pre-park dinner and want something drinkable without drama, it delivers. Just don't come expecting a wine destination.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Tortilla Jo's wine list is a tourist trap in list form — overpriced for what it is, underdeveloped for where it sits, and completely indifferent to the cuisine it's supposed to accompany. Order a margarita and move on.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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