California-forward fine dining, markup-heavy execution
La Jolla · Chula Vista · Contemporary American · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed June 26, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Nine-Ten Restaurant & Bar’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Nine-Ten inside the Grande Colonial Hotel, the wine list feels exactly like you'd expect from a La Jolla fine-dining institution — polished, California-centric, and heavy on crowd-pleasing producers. It signals ambition without a ton of surprise. The list is well-organized and the sommelier presence is real, which immediately earns some trust.
The list leans hard into California, with Burgundy and Rhône appearances that add some French credibility to the proceedings. You'll find marquee names like Kistler Chardonnay and Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir alongside cult-adjacent bottles from Sine Qua Non — the kind of list that rewards guests who know what they're looking for. Pacific Northwest gets a seat at the table too, with Domaine Serene representing Oregon's case for Chardonnay. The gaps show up in the adventurous category: if you're hunting natural wine, skin-contact, or anything left-field, this isn't your list.
Estimates put the by-the-glass program at 15-25 options, which is respectable for this format — enough range to navigate without a bottle commitment. Expect solid California representation in the pours. Rotation feels more seasonal than dynamic, so don't bank on the list evolving week to week.
Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County — $14-$20/glass
Au Bon Climat is a Santa Barbara legend that consistently punches above its weight — nuanced, food-friendly Pinot from one of California's most respected producers. In a list full of four-digit markups, this one is likely your most honest pour.
Domaine Serene 'Evenstad Reserve' Chardonnay 2018
At $95, it's priced at roughly 73% above retail — actually one of the more restrained markups on the list. Oregon Chardonnay still flies under the radar for most diners conditioned to reach for Napa or Burgundy, but Evenstad Reserve is the real deal: structured, mineral-driven, and worth ordering with intention.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2019
At $195 on the list against a $90 retail price, you're paying a 117% markup for a wine that's already priced on brand recognition rather than terroir. Caymus is fine, but it's also at every steakhouse in America. You can do better on this list.
Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County + Dry-aged duck
Santa Barbara Pinot has the fruit weight to stand up to duck's richness and enough acidity to cut through the fat without going to war with it. Au Bon Climat's earthy edge plays right into the savory depth of dry-aged preparation.
The Bottom Line
Nine-Ten is a genuinely good restaurant with a competent wine program — the sommelier is present, the list is legitimate, and the setting earns the price of admission. But the markups are aggressive enough that you'll want to be selective, because this list can eat your wallet if you reach for the obvious names.
· Chula Vista · American
Yard House Chula Vista's wine list is what happens when wine is an afterthought at a beer-forward chain — familiar labels, steep markups, and zero sense of discovery. If you're here for the 130+ beers on draft, you're in the right place; if you came for the wine, grab the Jean-Luc Colombo rosé and manage expectations accordingly.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chula Vista · Italian
Little Italy Ristorante isn't coming here for the wine — and at these prices, that's probably fine if you just need something cold in a glass. But nine labels, no Italian depth to speak of, and a list that hasn't been curated so much as assembled means this is strictly a cocktail-first, wine-if-you-must situation. If wine matters to you even a little, the food might be worth the trip, but plan to drink elsewhere.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Chula Vista · Chula Vista · Hotel Lounge
The Den is a hotel bar doing the bare minimum on wine, and it shows. Order a cocktail, grab a beer, or pick up a bottle from the grocery store down the street before you check in.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chula Vista · Steakhouse Chain
The prices are fair but there's almost nothing to choose from — four labels is not a wine program, it's a placeholder. If wine matters to your dinner, this isn't your spot.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chula Vista · Steakhouse
Skip the wine list and order a cocktail or a beer — the wine program here is an afterthought dressed up in a long menu. If someone insists on a bottle, reach for the Rodney Strong and don't look too hard at the markup.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chula Vista · Italian Chain
Romano's Macaroni Grill isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes no attempt to pretend otherwise. Order a $4 house red, enjoy the pasta, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that earned it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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
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.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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