Bayside Views with Old-School Napa Muscle
Siesta Key · Sarasota · Fine Dining American · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed February 25, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Ophelia's on the Bay’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You're opening a leather-bound wine list the size of a small novel while dolphins cruise past your window. The list clocks in at 150+ bottles, heavily tilted toward California royalty and six-figure anniversary bottles. This is where Sarasota's snowbirds come to flex their Amex and toast to sunset over Little Sarasota Bay.
The list reads like a Napa Valley greatest hits compilation with solid representation from Sonoma Coast and a few Washington State outliers. You'll find the usual suspects — Cakebread, Aubert, Sea Smoke — alongside trophy bottles like Dunn Howell Mountain at $499. The program plays it safe with recognizable names rather than adventurous selections, which fits the clientele but leaves little room for discovery. France gets a token nod, but this is clearly a West Coast show. The range is there if you're chasing cult Cabs and buttery Chards, but don't expect orange wines or natural experiments.
The by-the-glass program exists but details are thin, likely rotating through safe pours that won't scare off the early-bird crowd. With a sommelier on staff, you'd hope for thoughtful selections that change with the menu, but the vibe suggests they stick with crowd favorites rather than push boundaries. Expect stemware to match the bottle — proper varietal-specific Riedel or similar, which is appreciated when you're dropping three figures on Aubert.
Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay 2023 — $95
Still steep, but it's well-made Napa butter at a predictable markup. You know exactly what you're getting.
Columbia Valley bottles in the $60-80 range
Washington's high-quality reds often get overshadowed by Napa on lists like this, but they deliver serious structure at better value.
Aubert Wines CIX Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2023
It's excellent juice, but $299 for current-vintage Chard is restaurant flex pricing. Buy this at retail and save $150.
Sea Smoke Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2021 + Filet Mignon of Australian Wagyu Beef
The silky, red-fruit-forward Pinot won't overpower the delicate marbling of Wagyu while adding enough structure to handle the richness.
The Bottom Line
Ophelia's wine program delivers what its waterfront location promises: safe, luxurious, and expensive. The sommelier knows their stuff and the list has depth if you're hunting California cult bottles, but markups sting and adventure is off the menu. Come for the view and the Wagyu; order wine if someone else is paying.
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.
· Coeur d'Alene · Fine Dining American
Beverly's is doing something genuinely unexpected in the Idaho Panhandle — a Champagne-forward list with real grower depth that earns its place alongside any serious fine dining wine program in a much bigger city. If you care about bubbles at all, this one's worth the trip.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Proper
· St. Paul · Fine Dining American
Lake Elmo Inn has a wine list that earns genuine respect — fair prices, a real by-the-glass program, and a Coravin setup that shows they're thinking beyond the ordinary. It's not destination wine territory, but if you're already going for dinner, you're in good hands.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Table Rock Lake / Chateau Area · Branson · Fine Dining American
The Chateau Grille earns its reputation on atmosphere and food, not wine — the list is overpriced, uninspired, and coasting on brand recognition. Order a cocktail, or bring your own bottle and ask about corkage.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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