Ella Dining Room and Bar

The list lands with weight — 300-plus selections anchored in California and France, curated with clear intention in a room that takes wine seriously. This isn't a restaurant that threw bottles on a page and called it a day. Wine Spectator has handed Ella a Best of Award of Excellence every year since 2019, and the list earns it.

California is the backbone here, and it's a strong one — Caymus, Kistler, Ridge Monte Bello, Shafer Hillside Select, and Dominus all make appearances, spanning everything from workhorse Cabs to obsession-worthy single-vineyard bottlings. France holds its own with Château Margaux and Louis Jadot Burgundy anchoring the old-world side, giving the list real range without feeling scattered. The depth skews towards the big, structured reds that suit a farm-to-table menu built around dry-aged prime beef and roasted duck. If you're hunting natural wine or obscure growers, look elsewhere — this list is playing a different, more classical game.

Twenty to thirty options by the glass is a serious by-the-glass program, and with sommelier Shane Wadsworth running point, the pours aren't an afterthought. Glasses run $12-$20, which is fair given the downtown Sacramento market and the caliber of what's on offer. We'd love to see a rotation that pushes a bit further outside the comfort zone, but as a snapshot of the cellar, it works.