Little Italy's wine list that means business
Little Italy · San Diego · Californian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Juniper and Ivy’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Juniper and Ivy lands with real authority — 400 to 600 bottles deep, covering California and France with the kind of focus that tells you someone on staff actually cares. Five named sommeliers on the floor means you're not getting shrugs when you ask about the difference between the two Chardonnays. This is a serious wine program wearing a lively, approachable restaurant as its outfit.
California and France are the twin pillars here, and both legs are strong. On the California side, you're looking at Kistler, Aubert, Kongsgaard, and Sine Qua Non — the kind of names that show up in cellars, not just on lists. France answers back with Domaine Dujac, Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet, Domaine Raveneau Chablis, and Giacomo Conterno Barolo sneaking in from Italy to remind you the list isn't totally parochial. Screaming Eagle and Ridge Monte Bello represent the trophy-bottle tier for those celebrating something worth celebrating. The gaps — broader European coverage, emerging regions — exist, but they barely register when the depth of what's here is this good.
Twenty to thirty options by the glass is a genuine commitment, with prices running $12 to $25. That range gives you flexibility whether you're doing a solo pour at the bar or building a multi-glass progression across courses. We'd expect the rotating selection to track the kitchen's seasonal farm-to-table direction — ask your sommelier what's freshest on the pour list that night.
Domaine Raveneau Chablis — $45–$300+ (bottle)
Raveneau is one of Chablis' great benchmark producers — if they're pouring this at an entry-level bottle price, it drinks well above its cost. Lean, mineral, and built for the kitchen's seafood and vegetable dishes.
Giacomo Conterno Barolo
In a list built around California and France, most tables will chase the Burgundy or the Napa Cab. That's your opportunity. Conterno is one of Barolo's founding legends — structured, complex, and the kind of bottle that rewards the curious diner who scrolls past the obvious picks.
Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon
The trophy bottle experience rarely justifies the restaurant markup on top of an already astronomical retail price. If it's on your bucket list, fine — but you're paying for the name, not the night.
Domaine Dujac Burgundy + Koji-cured beef tartare
Dujac's Pinot Noir has that earthy, red-fruited lift with enough structure to handle raw beef without overwhelming it. The umami depth of the koji cure pulls the wine's forest-floor character forward in a way that makes both taste more like themselves.
The Bottom Line
Juniper and Ivy's wine list earns its Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence — this is San Diego doing California-and-France with conviction, backed by a sommelier team that actually shows up. The markups will sting on the prestige bottles, but the depth and expertise make it worth every visit.
Rancho Santa Fe · San Diego · French-Californian Fine Dining
Mille Fleurs is the real thing — a serious cellar, a knowledgeable sommelier, and a room that earns the prices it charges. The markup is steep, but you're not paying for a wine list; you're paying for the whole production, and that production is very good.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Del Mar · San Diego · Seasonal New American with Sushi Lounge
Market is a well-run, sommelier-backed program that earns its stripes on quality and presentation — but if you're expecting fair markups or any sense of vinous adventure, adjust expectations before you sit down. Send a friend here for a special occasion, not a bargain hunt.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
La Jolla · San Diego · Steakhouse
Rare Society La Jolla is a reliable steakhouse wine list that nails the fundamentals without ever taking a swing. Send your friends here for a great steak and a well-known Napa Cab; send them somewhere else if they want to be surprised.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Carlsbad Village · San Diego · Modern French
Jeune et Jolie is the best wine list in North San Diego County and it's not particularly close. Yes, the markups reflect the fine dining ambition, but the depth, the staff knowledge, and the sheer thoughtfulness of the French selection make this worth the drive from anywhere in the region.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Carlsbad Village · San Diego · Contemporary American with live-fire cooking
Campfire is exactly the kind of restaurant wine nerds drive out of their way for — a focused, producer-driven list inside a wood-smoke-soaked room where the kitchen and the cellar are clearly in conversation. Send your friends here and tell them to ask what's open.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Bay Park · San Diego · Seasonal California and Italian Gastropub
Luce isn't a wine bar, but it's a neighborhood spot that respects wine enough to make it worth ordering — and that alone puts it ahead of most places in its category. Fair prices, a focused list, and enough variety to find something you'll actually enjoy.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Monterey · Carmel By The Sea · Californian
Montrio is the rare restaurant where the wine list earns the same respect as the kitchen — regionally focused, fairly priced, and backed by staff who can actually help you navigate it. Add Tuesday's half-price bottle promotion and you've got one of the better wine nights on the Central Coast.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
Sixth & Mission · Carmel By The Sea · Californian
Grasing's doesn't have the deepest list on the Monterey Peninsula, but the by-the-glass-everything model and genuinely fair pricing make it worth your time. Send a friend here if they want to drink well without being locked into a bottle.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Napa · Napa · Californian
Carpe Diem punches above its weight for a 12-bottle list, and Monday half-price night makes this one of the better deals in downtown Napa. Just watch the bottle markups on the bigger names — you're in wine country, not getting a discount for it.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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