Arts District warehouse hiding serious California bottles
Arts District · Los Angeles · Californian · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed April 10, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Manuela’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Manuela lands like the space itself — unpretentious on the surface, quietly impressive once you dig in. A California-focused list of 150-200 bottles in an industrial Arts District warehouse isn't exactly surprising, but the names on these pages are. This is not a restaurant that phoned in its wine program.
The list leans hard into California, and it earns the right to do so — Arnot-Roberts, Matthiasson, Bedrock Wine Co., and Domaine de la Côte represent exactly the kind of small-producer, terroir-driven thinking that makes modern California wine worth getting excited about. Ridge Monte Bello and Kongsgaard Chardonnay give the list some gravity for guests who want to spend up, while Sine Qua Non adds a trophy tier for collectors eating wood-roasted chicken. The geographic range doesn't wander far, but it doesn't need to — this is a love letter to California done with intention. If you came hoping for deep Burgundy or Barolo, look elsewhere; if you came to drink great California wine with food that actually matches it, you're exactly where you should be.
Twenty to thirty by-the-glass options is a serious commitment for a kitchen-forward restaurant, and the $12–$20 range is honest for the caliber of producers in play. The glass program appears to mirror the bottle list's California focus, which means you're likely sipping Arnot-Roberts or Matthiasson by the pour rather than generic Central Coast filler. We'd love to see more rotation and a few curveball selections to keep regulars on their toes.
Bedrock Wine Co. — $45–$60 (bottle estimate within stated range)
Bedrock makes some of the most honest, food-friendly California wines at prices that haven't caught up to the hype yet. At the lower end of Manuela's bottle range, it's the move for a full-table pour that won't require a group financial discussion.
Matthiasson
Matthiasson gets overlooked next to the flashier names on this list, but their blends and whites are among the most thoughtful wines made in California — restrained, earthy, and built for the table. Most guests walk past it for something they recognize. Don't be most guests.
Sine Qua Non
Sine Qua Non is genuinely great wine, but you're paying a steep restaurant markup on top of an already-premium price tag for bottles that drink best with a decade of cellar time — not with a wood-roasted chicken in a buzzy dining room. Save the SQN budget for a night you can actually give it the attention it demands.
Domaine de la Côte Pinot Noir + Wood-roasted chicken
Domaine de la Côte makes Pinot that's all tension and minerality — exactly what you want next to wood-fire char. The earthiness in the wine echoes the smoke on the bird without fighting it, and the acidity cuts right through the fat. It's the best bottle-meets-dish moment on the menu.
The Bottom Line
Manuela is a Wild Card in the best sense — a casual Arts District restaurant that's quietly running one of the more thoughtful California-focused lists in the city, with producers that wine people actually want to drink. Send your friends here, but tell them to skip the Sine Qua Non and order the Pinot.
· Los Angeles · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão's wine list isn't trying to be a destination — it's trying to support a meat-forward meal without emptying your wallet, and it largely succeeds. The South American focus makes geographic sense, the pricing is fair for LA, and there are a few genuinely good bottles hiding in a otherwise safe list. If you're going for the full churrasco experience, grab the Lapostolle Sauvignon Blanc or the Catena Alta Chardonnay and let the gauchos do the rest.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Beverly Hills · Los Angeles · Italian
Il Cielo punches above its list size with some genuinely smart Italian picks and pricing that — especially on the Barolo — borders on generous. It's not a destination wine list, but it's a thoughtful one, and in Beverly Hills that's worth something. If you're going for a special occasion bottle, head straight to the Piedmont and Montalcino section and don't look back.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Hollywood · Los Angeles · Italian
A big-ticket Italian and Napa list with a genuine glass section: 14 wines by the glass from $15 to $85, then 89 bottles from $55 to $3,000. Start with the Prunotto Barolo at $30 a glass, or the Guidalberto at $145 if you want a Bolgheri bottle, and confirm prices because the page is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks page, not service, storage or markups.
Westwood · Los Angeles · American, Steakhouse
A Cabernet-first list with 30 glasses and a long bottle book, but no wine prices posted online. If you want a known price, the $9 happy hour Bonanza Cabernet by Caymus is the one posted figure, and if you want to step away from Cabernet, try the Il Bruciato Super Tuscan by the glass. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Hollywood · Los Angeles · Neapolitan Italian, Pizza
An all-Italian list that runs from a $50 Bardolino to a $300 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, with 15 wines poured by the glass. Start with the 18 / 72 Rocca del Principe Fiano di Avellino next to the $25 Margherita, or the 16 / 64 Primo Monte orange Trebbiano if you want something off the Chianti track, and confirm prices. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown Los Angeles · Los Angeles · French-inspired, New American
A 19-wine glass list where 17 pours land between $14 and $18. Start with the $13 Noble Vines Pinot Grigio or the $14 Intercept Pinot Noir, and put the $17 French onion soup next to a $52 bottle of Whispering Angel; confirm prices, since the list is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
West Loop · Chicago · Californian
A California-only list with more than 1,000 bins and a short, clearly priced glass list. Start with the Avivo Vermentino or the Atelier Sauvignon Blanc by the glass, or try an orange wine from the dedicated section, and confirm current prices. This unrated guide covers the posted wine menu, not service, storage or markups.
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
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
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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