Abbot Kinney's Wine List Has Actual Range
Venice · Los Angeles · California/New American with Italian and Mediterranean influences · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 21, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Gjelina hits differently than you'd expect from a buzzy Venice scene restaurant. Instead of the usual California-heavy crowd-pleaser lineup, you're looking at grower Champagnes, deep Loire cuts, and Italian oddities that suggest someone with actual opinions built this list. It's the kind of list that makes you want to skip the cocktail.
The list leans hard into France and Italy, and it's better for it. Grower Champagnes from Chartogne-Taillet and Jacques Lassaigne anchor the sparkling section, while the Loire shows up with a 1997 Moulin Touchais Chenin Blanc — a genuinely rare find on a restaurant list in LA. The Italian presence is similarly considered, with G.D. Vajra's Barolo Chinato and Lombardy metodo classico bottles that most places wouldn't even think to stock. California makes an appearance too, but it's curated rather than reflexive — the Moraga Sauvignon Blanc from Bel Air is a local curiosity worth seeking out. The one gap: if you're hunting for broad Southern Hemisphere or Spanish representation, you'll come up short.
The by-the-glass program runs 12–18 options and rotates, which is the right call for a list this adventurous. Prices start around $25 a glass, which is Venice pricing — you're paying for the zip code alongside the wine. The rotation means what you read about online may not be what's poured tonight, so ask the staff what's moving.
Yura Gros Manseng/Petit Manseng, Jurançon, France '23 — ~$75
Jurançon is criminally underpriced relative to what it delivers — fresh, textured, and genuinely food-friendly. A 2023 vintage at entry-level bottle pricing on a list like this is the move if you want to drink smart.
Moulin Touchais Chenin Blanc, Coteaux du Layon, France '97
A 1997 Loire Chenin on a Venice restaurant list is not something you see every day. Coteaux du Layon ages like nothing else — honey, beeswax, and sharp acidity all at once. Most tables will walk right past it. Don't be most tables.
Vincent Couche Sensation Brut Nature, Champagne, France '02
A 2002 grower Champagne sounds exciting until you factor in the markup. At a restaurant running steep pricing across the board, a prestige-vintage bottle like this is going to cost you significantly more than its cellar value warrants. Save it for a dedicated wine bar where provenance and storage history are guaranteed.
Chartogne-Taillet Sainte Anne Extra Brut, Champagne N.V. + Charred Brussels Sprouts
The extra brut dosage keeps things lean and mineral, which cuts right through the char and bitterness of the sprouts without fighting the caramelized edges. It's the kind of pairing that sounds wrong and tastes completely right.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Gjelina's wine list punches well above its Venice-casual exterior — this is a serious, opinionated list built by people who actually drink. The pricing stings, but the selection earns it more often than not.
Downtown Los Angeles · Los Angeles · French-inspired, New American
Perch is a place people go for the view, the scene, and the Instagram moment — the wine list knows this and doesn't try very hard. Order something simple, enjoy the skyline, and save your serious wine drinking for a restaurant that wants to earn it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Hollywood · Los Angeles · Upscale Italian, Seafood
Marino is a reliable, well-curated Italian wine list that earns its stripes on selection and staff knowledge, even if the pricing makes you wince on the everyday bottles. Send a friend here for the Guidalberto and the Franciacorta — just steer them away from anything under $60.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Hollywood · Los Angeles · Neapolitan Italian, Pizza
Da Michele's wine list is narrow by design and better for it — a focused, fairly priced tour through Southern Italy that most pizza spots in LA wouldn't dare attempt. If you're even mildly curious about Campanian wine, this is one of the better excuses in the city to start learning.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Los Angeles · Los Angeles · Seafood
Water Grill is a reliable choice for serious wine with serious seafood — the list is deep enough to reward exploration, and the sommelier presence means you can actually ask for help. The markups sting, but this is Downtown LA and you knew that walking in.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Bel-Air · Los Angeles · Modern Californian with European/Mediterranean influences
This is a serious wine list dressed in a garden party — the depth is real, the sommelier is engaged, and if you're willing to pay the Bel-Air premium, the experience delivers. Just go in knowing the bill will reflect the hedge-lined address.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Beverly Grove / West Hollywood · Los Angeles · Greek / Mediterranean
Kassi Club is a party restaurant with a wine list that punches above its vibe — if you ignore the markup and order Greek, you're going to drink well. Send a friend here specifically to work through the indigenous varietals; just tell them to skip the Chablis.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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