Hollywood's Most Serious Wine List, Full Stop
Hollywood · Los Angeles · Seasonal Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Gwen Butcher Shop & Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Gwen lands like a thud — in the best possible way. We're talking 400-600 selections anchored by California, France, and Italy, with names like Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Harlan Estate sharing real estate on the same pages. Curtis Stone built a restaurant where the meat program gets all the press, but the wine list quietly earns equal billing.
California is the clear star here — Kistler, Aubert, Ridge Monte Bello, Screaming Eagle, Caymus Special Selection, and Opus One all make appearances, covering the full spectrum from serious Chardonnay to cult Cab. France punches hard with Domaine Leroy Burgundy, Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet, Château Latour, and DRC in the cellar for those with deep enough pockets. Italy rounds out the list with Giacomo Conterno Barolo and Gaja Barbaresco — both serious producers that signal someone actually cares about what goes beyond the Alps. The only gripe is that coverage gets thinner outside these three regions; if you want Ribera del Duero or Alsace, you're mostly out of luck.
Twenty to thirty pours by the glass is a genuine commitment for a restaurant this size, and Gwen doesn't use the program as a dumping ground for whatever needs to move. Expect rotations that track the California and French strengths of the bottle list — this isn't a house-pour-and-one-Chardonnay situation. Wednesday's half-price wine night turns the BTG program into one of the better deals in Hollywood, full stop.
Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 — $180
At a restaurant where Screaming Eagle and Harlan set the ceiling, Far Niente at $180 is the sensible power move. It's a proper Napa Cab from a house that's been doing this for decades — and it doesn't require a second mortgage to enjoy with your dry-aged ribeye.
Giacomo Conterno Barolo
Most tables here are reaching for a California Cab, which means Conterno often gets overlooked. That's a mistake. This is one of the most important Barolo producers in Piedmont, full stop — and in a steakhouse context, Nebbiolo's high acid and firm tannins do serious work against rich, fatty cuts.
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Vosne-Romanée 2018
At $1,200 a bottle in a loud, bustling Hollywood dining room, you're not getting the contemplative experience this wine deserves. DRC is a cellar wine, not a vibe wine. Save it for somewhere quieter — or for your own table at home.
Ridge Monte Bello + Dry-aged ribeye
Monte Bello is Cabernet-dominant but built on complexity and restraint rather than raw power — it has the structure to stand up to a well-marbled dry-aged ribeye without bulldozing it. It's the pairing a serious wine drinker orders while everyone else reaches for Caymus.
Wednesday — Half-price wine night on Wednesdays — applies to bottle selections and makes an already strong list significantly more accessible.
The Bottom Line
Gwen has earned its Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence since 2018 and the list backs it up — this is one of the most serious wine programs attached to a steakhouse in Los Angeles. Markups are steep, but Wednesday half-price night and specific bottle picks make it worth the trip.
· Los Angeles · California small plates
If this four-wine snapshot is the full extent of AOC's current public-facing wine program, it doesn't come close to living up to the restaurant's wine bar billing. The pricing is fair and the Vinho Verde earns its spot, but four uniform options with no dish context and no visible deeper list is not what you go to a place called AOC expecting. Come for the reputation — just hope the full list is hiding somewhere.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Beverly Hills · Los Angeles · Italian Seafood
Marea Beverly Hills brings genuine depth and regional curiosity to a wine list that could have easily coasted on crowd-pleasing Pinot Grigio and overpriced Super Tuscans — and it didn't. The markups are high, as expected for this zip code, and without clearer intel on staff knowledge or specials programming, the full experience is harder to guarantee. But the list itself earns serious respect, and if you navigate it well — start with the Strasserhof, finish with the Rossese — you'll drink far better than most tables around you.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Proper
Beverly Hills · Los Angeles · Prime rib and steakhouse
Lawry's is a Los Angeles institution and the prime rib is genuinely the point — the wine list exists to support that experience, not steal the show. If you hit the weekday happy hour window between 5 and 6 PM, you might find the value equation improves considerably. Come for the beef, enjoy whatever Cab they pour, and don't expect the list to surprise you.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
West Hollywood · Los Angeles · Italian and French Café
Bottega Louie West Hollywood is a solid, reliable choice when you want wine that doesn't distract from the occasion — the room, the company, the cannoli. The Sunday half-price glass program is the single most compelling reason to choose this spot specifically for wine, and we'd encourage you to use it. Just don't expect the list to surprise you; this is a place that knows its audience and plays to them without apology.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
West Adams · Los Angeles · Italian pasta
Cento is a destination for the pasta first, and the wine list seems to know its supporting role without phoning it in. We'd want a verified menu in hand before steering you toward specific bottles, but the regional focus and the evident care in the room give us real confidence this isn't a place that treats wine as an afterthought. Go for the spicy pomodoro, ask what's pouring by the glass, and let the night unfold.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Los Angeles · French tasting menu
Mélisse is a destination for Champagne completists willing to pay fine dining prices for the privilege of choosing between four Philipponnat vintages or three Krug editions in a single sitting. But if you're hoping for a wine list that matches the ambition of a French tasting menu — with depth across regions and styles — the narrowness here will leave you wanting. Come for the bubbles, manage your expectations for everything else.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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