Sacramento's Firehouse With a Serious Cellar
Midtown · Sacramento · New American, seasonal farm-to-table · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 22, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into a converted firehouse with 80-plus bottles on the list is exactly the kind of surprise Midtown Sacramento keeps delivering. The Champagne section alone signals that someone here actually cares — this isn't a list built to check boxes. It's curated, seasonal, and just adventurous enough to make you read it twice.
The list leans into Champagne harder than almost any farm-to-table spot in Sacramento has a right to, with serious grower pours from Frederic Savart, Chartogne-Taillet, and H. Goutorbe sitting alongside Laurent-Perrier. Beyond the bubbles, there's genuine range: Corsican Nielluccio from Yves Leccia, an Aglianico from Rhyme Cellars out of Tuolumne County, and Northern California bottles that go well beyond the expected Napa Cab corridor. The gaps are in broader European coverage — don't come hunting for Burgundy depth or Spanish verticals — but what's here is thoughtfully assembled to mirror the kitchen's local-and-seasonal ethos. It's a list that rewards curiosity.
Ten to sixteen pours by the glass is a solid window for a restaurant of this size, and the rotation appears to mirror the daily-changing menu, which is exactly how it should work. We'd push for more transparency on what's actually pouring on a given night — the website doesn't always reflect real-time options — but regulars report the glass program punches above its weight.
Chartogne-Taillet 'Sainte Anne', Merfy, France — null
Chartogne-Taillet is one of the most respected grower-Champagne houses in the Marne, and 'Sainte Anne' is their entry-level cuvée that still drinks like a serious bottle. At a restaurant, getting this at a fair markup instead of a wine bar upcharge is the move — it's complex, mineral, and far more interesting than any Big House Champagne on the table next to yours.
Yves Leccia Nielluccio 'Patrimonio', Corsica, France
Most tables sleep on this one because Corsica is still a mystery to most American diners. Nielluccio is Sangiovese's island cousin — earthy, herby, with real structure — and Yves Leccia's 'Patrimonio' is a benchmark producer. It's the kind of bottle that makes someone at the table ask 'what is that?' halfway through the glass.
Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé, Tours-Sur-Marne, France
Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé is a beautiful bottle, but it's also one of the most widely distributed, heavily marked-up Champagnes on restaurant lists everywhere. You're paying a premium for the recognizable name and the iconic frosted bottle. With Savart and Chartogne-Taillet on the same list, this is the least interesting choice per dollar.
Rhyme Cellars Aglianico, Tuolumne County, California + Locally sourced meat special
Aglianico is built for red meat — high acid, firm tannin, dark fruit with an earthy edge. Rhyme Cellars' version from Tuolumne County brings a California brightness to a grape that usually leans old-world rustic. Whatever locally sourced meat is on the menu that night, this is your bottle.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Mulvaney's is doing something genuinely unusual for Sacramento: serious grower Champagne and left-field regional picks in a converted firehouse that doesn't take itself too seriously. If you eat here and order the house red without looking at this list, that's on you.
Midtown · Sacramento · Cocktail Bar / Irish-Influenced Bar with Snacks
The Snug is a cocktail bar first and a wine destination never — but for what it is, the wine list is shockingly well-curated and worth exploring if you're the one at the table who doesn't want a Negroni. Don't come here for a deep wine night; do come here knowing the glass of Gamay you order between cocktails will be better than it has any right to be.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Downtown · Sacramento · Seafood
Scott's Seafood is a safe, solid choice for a riverfront dinner where you want to pop some bubbles without thinking too hard — just don't come here expecting the wine list to match the view. Stick to the sparkling section and you'll leave happy.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · Sacramento · New American, seasonal Californian
Hook & Ladder isn't a wine destination, but it's doing more than most casual Midtown spots bother to do — a few smart pours at fair prices go a long way. Come for the food and the room, stay for the Crémant.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · Sacramento · Southern / Farm-to-Table
The Porch isn't a wine destination, but it's a restaurant where you can order confidently from the wine list without getting burned — and in Midtown Sacramento, that's not nothing. Send your friends here knowing they'll drink well without overpaying.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
El Dorado Hills (Greater Sacramento) · Sacramento · California comfort food / cafe
Selland's El Dorado Hills isn't a destination wine stop, but it's a genuinely solid neighborhood option — a short list curated with more care than the counter-service format would suggest. Send a friend here if they want something decent with dinner; don't send them here if wine is the whole point of the night.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Land Park / Broadway · Sacramento · California comfort food / cafe
Selland's Broadway is the rare fast-casual spot where the wine list has an actual opinion, not just SKUs. If you're in the neighborhood on a Monday, the half-price wine special makes it a no-brainer — show up, order a pizza, drink something you'd normally only find at a dedicated wine bar.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.