Layla

You're sitting inside a historic inn in the heart of Sonoma wine country, and the list lands on the table feeling exactly like it should — confident, California-forward, and not trying too hard. It's a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence recipient as of 2025, and that credibility shows in the curation. This isn't a list assembled on autopilot; someone made real choices here.

The 150-250 bottle list leans hard into California and France, which is exactly right for where you're sitting. On the California side, you've got genuine heavyweights — Kistler and Kongsgaard Chardonnay, Ridge Monte Bello, Paul Hobbs Cabernet — names that belong on a serious list, not just filler prestige labels. France holds its own too, with Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet and Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin rounding out the old-world flank. The one gap: if you're hunting Rhône, Burgundy depth beyond Jadot, or anything remotely esoteric, you may hit a wall fast.

With 12-20 pours available, the by-the-glass program is more than respectable for a hotel restaurant in a wine town that expects it. Flowers Vineyard Pinot Noir and Duckhorn Merlot are likely regulars on that list — crowd-pleasing but genuinely good picks that won't embarrass you. Rotation appears limited; don't expect a chalkboard that changes weekly, but what's there is solid.