Italian Roots, Glass-Friendly Prices, Zero Pretense
Del Mar · San Diego · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 28, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Davanti Enoteca Del Mar’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The list at Davanti Enoteca Del Mar is compact but clearly curated with intention — 38 labels with a heavy Italian lean and a by-the-glass program that's genuinely impressive in its breadth. At $7 on the low end and $18 at the top, the glass pours are priced for people who actually want a second glass. This isn't a list that's trying to show off; it's trying to make dinner easier.
The Italian white section does the heavy lifting here, with solid representation from regions that most San Diego restaurants ignore entirely — Roero Arneis from Piedmont, Falanghina from Campania, Gavi from Piedmont. That's real geography, not just 'Italian wine.' The red side is thinner from the data we have, anchored by a House Rosso and a Chianti at $25 and a Super Tuscan stepping up to $27. California makes a cameo with DAOU Sauvignon Blanc, La Crema Chardonnay, and Cakebread, which feel like concessions to guests who won't go Italian — fair enough. The top of the bottle list caps around $365, but the action is clearly in the $42–$64 range where the interesting stuff lives.
Thirty by-the-glass options on a 38-bottle list is a remarkable ratio — nearly the entire list is pourable by the glass, which is rare and genuinely useful. The Borghi Ad Est Pinot Grigio at $14/glass and Villa Matilde Falanghina at $14/glass represent the program's Italian ambitions without asking you to commit to a bottle. The lower tier — House Rosso and Chianti at $7 — gives you an easy entry point if you're just here to drink something uncomplicated.
The Bottom Line
Davanti Enoteca Del Mar has done something quietly smart: built an Italian-forward wine list with real regional depth, made nearly all of it available by the glass, and priced it fairly across the board. It won't win awards for cellar depth or adventurousness, but if you want a Villa Matilde Falanghina or a Roero Arneis with your pasta without taking out a second mortgage, this is your spot. Send a friend here — just steer them toward the Italian whites.
La Jolla · San Diego · Italian
Marisi earns its Wild Card badge by building a wine list that actually reflects curiosity about Italian wine rather than just the greatest hits. The dessert wine section alone puts it ahead of most Italian restaurants in San Diego. Pricing data wasn't available to us, and staff knowledge is an open question — but if you're the kind of person who gets excited about Albana from Emilia-Romagna or a Barolo Chinato to close the night, this list is worth your attention.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Little Italy · San Diego · Italian
Davanti Enoteca is a solid neighborhood Italian spot where the wine list does its job without doing anything remarkable. If you're heading here for the meatballs and Roman artichokes — and you should be — grab a bottle of something Italian, stay out of your own way, and enjoy the room. Just don't expect the wine program to be the reason you came.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · Steak and Seafood
Mastro's Ocean Club carries some excellent producers, but seven wines at a premium steakhouse is a list that gave up before it started. The Chateau Montelena and Stag's Leap bottles are worth ordering if the price is right, but we can't verify what you'll pay — and at a restaurant this upscale, that uncertainty rarely resolves in your favor. If wine is central to your evening, go somewhere that's put in the work.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown · San Diego · Hotel rooftop restaurant
Topside Terrace is selling a vibe and the wine list is an afterthought — functional, recognizable, and priced to extract rooftop tax from every pour. Come for the sunset, order a cocktail, and save the serious wine for dinner somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Little Italy · San Diego · Wine Bar + Bottle Shop
Vino Carta is exactly the kind of neighborhood wine bar San Diego needs more of — casual enough to drop into on a Tuesday, knowledgeable enough to actually teach you something. If natural wine and France are your compass headings, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
· San Diego · Steakhouse
STK San Diego is a vibe-first, wine-second operation — the list exists to support the scene, not the other way around. If wine is actually important to your evening, you can do better in San Diego without breaking a sweat.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Venice · Los Angeles · Italian
Felix Trattoria has the bones of a genuinely good wine destination — Italian-focused list, sommelier on staff, and a kitchen full of pasta that begs for a proper Nebbiolo or Vermentino alongside it. Markup reports lean steep for the neighborhood, so budget accordingly. We'd send a friend here for the full experience, but with a reminder to ask questions and not just grab the first recognizable label.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Yountville · Italian
Ciccio's wine list is a tight, opinionated thirteen-bottle argument for Italian varieties in Napa Valley, and it mostly wins. If you're eating Italian food and want something more interesting than the usual Napa Cab, this is exactly where you should be drinking — the Altamura Nebbiolo and Ciavolich Montepulciano alone are worth the detour.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Glendale · Italian
Lil' Capo isn't a wine destination — it's a pizza destination with wine available, which is exactly what it should be. If you're grabbing a pie before a Westgate event and want something in a glass that won't embarrass the food, the Italian-leaning list does its job without asking too much of you or your wallet.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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