Sarasota's Safe Bet for Special Occasions
Midtown Plaza · Sarasota · Contemporary American · Visit Website ↗
Updated July 2026
Reviewed February 25, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Michael's On East’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Michael's has the look of a serious wine program — leather-bound list, white tablecloths, the whole nine. But when you crack it open, you're getting a Florida fine-dining standard: California cabs, predictable Burgundy, safe Italian reds. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing that makes you sit up straight either.
The list skews heavily toward Napa and Sonoma, with the expected lineup of Caymus, Jordan, and Silver Oak. French offerings lean Bordeaux and Burgundy but stop at recognizable names rather than digging into grower Champagnes or Loire Valley depth. Italy gets a decent showing — Brunello, Barolo, Super Tuscans — but it's the greatest hits album, not the deep cuts. You won't find natural wines, orange wines, or anything particularly adventurous here. It's built for the country club crowd who know what they like and aren't looking to explore.
Glass pours likely run the standard script: a Sonoma chardonnay around $14, a Willamette pinot for $16, maybe a Chianti and a Malbec to round things out. Rotation appears minimal — these are the workhorses that move volume, not the staff's personal picks. Perfectly drinkable, totally forgettable.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc — $42
Standard markup on a reliable New Zealand white that does its job with seafood starters without breaking the bank
Produttori del Barbaresco Nebbiolo Langhe
If they carry the co-op's entry-level bottling, it's your gateway to serious Piedmont without the Barolo price tag
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Marked up 4x retail and tastes like every other steakhouse in America — you can do better here
La Crema Pinot Noir + Pan-Seared Grouper
The weight and red fruit of Russian River pinot bridges beautifully with Florida's meatier fish without overwhelming delicate preparation
The Bottom Line
Michael's delivers exactly what Sarasota expects: a polished room, capable service, and a wine list that won't surprise anyone. You'll drink fine here, but you're paying for the setting more than the selection.
Downtown Sarasota · Sarasota · Contemporary American
A one-page list that mixes Greek, Italian and French bottles with Cristal, Taittinger and Laurent-Perrier Champagnes, and posts many prices as two unlabeled numbers. Start with the Gai'a Assyrtiko (70 / 17) alongside the wood-fired octopus, or take the Les Girelles Picpoul (48 / 12) on a Tuesday, when the list says bottles at $99 and less are half off (bubbles and Champagne excluded). This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups, and the list carries no printed date, so confirm current availability and ask which number is the glass.
Downtown Sarasota · Sarasota · American
A 38-wine list that mixes French and California bottles and posts three Cabernet Francs among its reds. Start with the Charles Joguet Chinon at 68 or the Micro-Cosme red at 10 / 39, and ask which number is the glass. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Siesta Key · Sarasota · Italian
A big, Italy-heavy list with a run of $38 house-label bottles and reds that climb to a $696 1993 Quintarelli. Order the $38 C.G. Vini Chianti or the $38 Argiolas Vermentino, and save the Quintarelli for a table that has confirmed it's in stock. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Siesta Drive and US 41 · Sarasota · Steakhouse
A steakhouse list built in two layers: 80 wines on the main list with 42 poured by the glass from $10 to $45, and a 20-wine Reserve list that runs $160 to $715. For a steak dinner, order the Calera by Duckhorn Pinot Noir at $17 a glass with the filet, or pick the $42 Réserve Mont-Redon if the table wants a bottle. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups, and prices should be confirmed.
Sarasota · Sarasota · American with winery focus
A winery-restaurant list built mostly on its own bottlings, with clear glass and bottle prices. Order bin 79 Chardonnay with Dana's Parmesan-Crusted Chicken, or try the $10.75 house Red, and confirm what is pouring in Sarasota. This unrated guide covers the posted wine menu, not service, storage or retail markups.
Siesta Key · Sarasota · American
Summer House posts a seven-page list whose biggest section is Cabernet Sauvignon and blends, with a 31-pour glass page priced from $13 to $38. Start with the $17 Decoy Cabernet by the glass, then buy the $70 bottle if the table likes it, or try the $29 Collefrisio Montepulciano Riserva for something off the Cabernet track. Confirm current availability and prices, since the restaurant says pricing, vintages and wines are subject to change; this unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Vinings · Atlanta · Contemporary American
So has a wine list built to please a suburban dinner crowd without ruffling any feathers, and it largely succeeds at that narrow goal. The markup is real — most bottles sit at 3–4x retail — but the by-the-glass breadth gives you options to keep the tab reasonable. If you're a wine-first diner, this isn't your destination; if you're here for the scene and the food, you'll find something perfectly fine to drink.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Toledo · Contemporary American
Sabira has built something genuinely worth noticing for Toledo: a compact, mostly European list that takes real swings with appellations like Grasparossa di Castelvetro and Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Pricing data isn't available to us, and the BTG program is unclear — so call ahead or ask on arrival. If the staff knows this list as well as whoever curated it seems to, this is an easy recommendation for anyone tired of the same regional Chardonnay-and-Cab circuit.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Salt Lake City · Contemporary American
A bottle-only list that runs from $57 to $1,988, with no by-the-glass section posted. Start with the 2020 CVNE Crianza at $57/bottle or the 2013 López de Heredia at $145/bottle, and confirm today's list because it carries no print date. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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