All Glass, No Bottle, No Apologies
· San Diego · French · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 28, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Fleurette’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Fleurette runs an entirely by-the-glass list — 17 pours, zero bottles — which is either a bold wine bar move or a practical constraint depending on how you look at it. Either way, the selections themselves signal that someone here is paying attention: Morgon, Chinon, Viré-Clessé, and a Bouzy Grand Cru Champagne by the glass are not choices that happen by accident. The format demands you trust the rotation, and from what's on this list, that trust feels mostly earned.
The Old World leans heavily French — Loire, Beaujolais, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhône, Provence, Champagne — with smart detours into Northern Italy (Arneis from Langhe), California (Scribe Chardonnay, The Hilt Pinot Noir, Bedrock Cab), and a genuinely interesting Gros Manseng from Cahors that you almost never see anywhere. There are no real gaps at the structural level: sparkling, white, rosé, and red are all covered with producers who have actual reputations. Jean-Marc Pillot showing up alongside Anthony Thevenet's Morgon tells you the buyer has range. The only knock is that 17 wines has a ceiling — if a few bottles run out mid-service, the list gets thin fast.
Every single wine on the list is a glass pour, which makes Fleurette effectively a wine bar even if it isn't billing itself as one. Price floor is $18 (Alexandre Déramé Muscadet and the Thevenet Morgon), and the ceiling hits $42 for the Pierre Paillard Bouzy Grand Cru Champagne. That's a reasonable spread, and the mid-range $21–$24 tier has the most interesting action.
The Bottom Line
Fleurette is running one of the more thoughtful all-glass wine programs in San Diego — small, curated, and genuinely interesting rather than safe. If you want a bottle-heavy cellar experience, this isn't your spot. But if you want to drink well by the glass with a French-leaning list that actually has opinions, it absolutely is.
Little Italy · San Diego · Mediterranean
Barra Oliba is doing something genuinely interesting for San Diego — a Spain-focused wine program in a polished Little Italy setting, backed by real culinary intent and a sommelier keeping things honest. We'd send a friend here without hesitation, especially if they're ready to let the staff steer. The full list isn't something we've been able to verify in detail, so consider this a strong lead worth confirming in person over a glass of Albariño.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · Seafood
The Fish Market's wine list is a workhorse, not a showpiece — it covers the basics for a seafood crowd without asking too much of anyone, including itself. If you're looking for a thoughtful wine experience to match the kitchen's seafood focus, you'll want to adjust your expectations; if you just want a cold glass of Albariño with your fish tacos, you're in fine shape. Seek out the Martín Códax and let the rest of the list do its thing for the table next to you.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · French brasserie
A L'Ouest has no business being this curated for a brasserie wine list — 18 wines, all by the glass, all French, with producers that would hold their own on a much more serious list. Pricing is fair without being showy, and the all-glass format means you can work through the menu without committing to a bottle. If you're in San Diego and want to drink France without flying to France, this is worth the visit.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Encinitas · San Diego · Italian Pizza
Isola Pizza Bar isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's also not mailing it in with a grocery-store list — a regionally focused Italian selection alongside proper Neapolitan pizza is a combination that holds up. Hit the Wednesday–Friday happy hour, trust the list to skew Italian, and you'll leave happy. We'd send a friend here for a casual Tuesday dinner without hesitation.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Carlsbad · San Diego · Tasting Menu
Lilo is the kind of place that earns a Wild Card badge not because it's rough around the edges, but because nobody expects to find this level of polish — Michelin star included — in Carlsbad. The France-and-Champagne wine focus is a smart, committed match for the seafood tasting menu, and the intimate counter format means you're likely getting attentive, knowledgeable service on the wine side. We'd recommend calling ahead if you want to explore outside the pairing format, but if you're going for the full experience, lean into the Champagne and don't look back.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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
· Yountville · French
Angele is a genuinely lovely spot — the room, the food, the riverfront setting all deliver — and the wine list appears to hold its own for a French bistro in Napa without trying to be something it's not. That said, wine-country markups are real here, and without a deeper confirmed list to work from, we'd say: order what the staff recommends, keep your expectations calibrated to 'solid bistro' rather than 'serious wine destination,' and let the duck confit do the heavy lifting.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Vail · French
La Tour is not trying to be everything to everyone — it's a French restaurant in Vail that has quietly built one of the more credible white Burgundy lists in Colorado. The pricing is fair by resort standards, the selection has genuine depth from Chablis through Meursault, and there are a few bottles here that would turn heads in a serious wine city. If Chardonnay is your thing, this list is worth your time. If it's not, order the cocktails.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Vail · French
The Left Bank is a legitimately compelling wine destination for anyone who loves Champagne and grower producers — finding Bérêche & Fils 'Le Cran' or Larmandier-Bernier 'Longitude' on a list in Vail is not nothing. Markups are real and the lack of confirmed BTG options means you're probably committing to a bottle, but if that bottle is the Drappier or the Bourdy Crémant, you'll leave happy.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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