Skip the wine, order the pizza
Downtown Chula Vista · Chula Vista · Italian-American, pizza, and casual family dining · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 26, 2026
RagingWine reviewed La Bella Pizza Garden’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at La Bella Pizza Garden reads like the bottom shelf of a Walmart aisle — Sutter Home White Zin, Barefoot, and Riunite Lambrusco. This is a neighborhood institution that has clearly decided wine is an afterthought, and they're not wrong that most people come here for the pizza.
The list is short and entirely predictable: mass-market California brands (Sutter Home, Barefoot, Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi) alongside the Riunite Lambrusco for the Italy nod. There's no regional depth, no interesting producers, and no attempt to match the Italian-American kitchen with anything beyond the most generic bottles imaginable. The Stella Rosa Rosso is the wildest thing on the list, which tells you everything. Gaps? The entire wine world is a gap here.
By-the-glass options are listed as house 'Fine Wine' pours — and we use that term loosely — at around $9–$10 a glass, dropping to $9 during happy hour. The specific labels aren't called out on the menu, which is honestly fitting because the less you think about what's in that glass, the better.
Stella Rosa Rosso — $28
Relative to everything else here, this is the least embarrassing bottle at the table. It's sweet and easy, retails for about $13, and the markup is the most reasonable on the list at around 116%. Not a wine to write home about, but it works with a slice of Hawaiian Jalapeño pizza.
Riunite Lambrusco
Nobody orders Lambrusco in a pizza joint and that's a shame — this fizzy, slightly sweet red is actually a historically correct pairing with Italian-American food. It's no premium bottle, but it has more personality than anything else on this list and leans into the casual, old-school vibe of the room.
Sutter Home White Zinfandel
At $18 a bottle for something that retails at $5.99, this is the worst value on the list. It's a 200% markup on a wine that has no business being anyone's night out choice. Order a soda.
Riunite Lambrusco + Hawaiian Jalapeño Pizza
The light fizz and residual sweetness in the Lambrusco plays off the heat of the jalapeños and the sweetness of the pineapple without fighting the tomato sauce. It's not a sophisticated pairing — it's just fun, and it fits the room.
The Bottom Line
La Bella Pizza Garden is a beloved Chula Vista institution and the pizza earns every bit of that love — but the wine list is a placeholder, not a program. Come for the pies, drink a beer or a Coke, and save the wine for somewhere that cares.
Chula Vista · Chula Vista · Hotel Lounge
The Den is a hotel bar doing the bare minimum on wine, and it shows. Order a cocktail, grab a beer, or pick up a bottle from the grocery store down the street before you check in.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chula Vista · Steakhouse Chain
The prices are fair but there's almost nothing to choose from — four labels is not a wine program, it's a placeholder. If wine matters to your dinner, this isn't your spot.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chula Vista · Steakhouse
Skip the wine list and order a cocktail or a beer — the wine program here is an afterthought dressed up in a long menu. If someone insists on a bottle, reach for the Rodney Strong and don't look too hard at the markup.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chula Vista · Italian Chain
Romano's Macaroni Grill isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes no attempt to pretend otherwise. Order a $4 house red, enjoy the pasta, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that earned it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Jolla / Torrey Pines · Chula Vista · Regional California Cuisine / American Fine Dining
A.R. Valentien is doing something rare for a hotel restaurant: it's built a wine program that would stand on its own even without the Pacific Ocean views. Send your people here — just book ahead and don't skip the wine list.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
La Jolla · Chula Vista · Italian
Marisi is a reliable Italian wine list with genuine ambition hiding behind a steep markup structure — the producers are right, the regions are right, but you'll pay for the privilege. Go for the Produttori Barbaresco and the Pre-Phylloxera Barbera, and you'll leave satisfied.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
