272 Bottles Deep and Unapologetically Serious
Beverly Hills · Los Angeles · Italian Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 29, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Marea Beverly Hills’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
At 272 labels and 49 by-the-glass options, this wine list does not ease you in gently — it drops you into the deep end wearing a tuxedo. The range spans Nino Franco Prosecco at $24/glass all the way up to Krug Grande Cuvée at $96/glass, which tells you everything about the room this list is built for. It's Italian-seafood focused but casts a wider net than you'd expect.
The Italian anchoring is strong — Benanti Etna Bianco, Pieropan Soave Classico La Rocca, Umani Ronchi Vecchie Vigne Verdicchio, and I Favati's Fiano di Avellino Riserva give the list real regional credibility, not just name recognition. France holds its own too, with Delamotte Blanc de Blancs, Billecart-Salmon Rosé, and a V. & S. Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru alongside a Henri Costal Chablis Les Truffières. California gets its moment through Massican Greco and the Altamarea Presqu'ile Chardonnay — the latter being the restaurant group's own label, which is a nice touch. Rosé gets genuine care here, with both the Ignaz Niedrist Mitterberg and Domaine du Gros Noré Bandol on the glass list — two producers who don't usually share menu space at Italian spots.
Forty-nine options by the glass is not a flex — it's a commitment, and Marea mostly backs it up. The spread runs from a $24 Prosecco to a $96 Krug, with serious mid-range anchors like the Sandlands Chenin Blanc at $27, the Strasserhof Valle Isarco Kerner at $26, and the Punta Crena Rossese at $29 giving curious drinkers real options that aren't just safety picks. No evidence of regular rotation or a featured pour program, so what you see is likely what you get.
The Bottom Line
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.
· 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 · 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
· Los Angeles · New American Wine Bar
Bar Chelou is the rare LA wine bar that actually commits to a point of view — weird grapes, honest prices, producers you'll Google mid-dinner. The BTG range alone makes it worth a stop, and the bottle list rewards the curious without punishing the budget. If you like knowing exactly what you're getting, go somewhere else. If you like being pleasantly confused, pull up a stool.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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