Paseo: A California Bistro

The wine list at Paseo arrives and immediately signals that someone here takes California seriously — this isn't a placeholder list built to move margins. With 150-plus bottles capped at a $200 ceiling and glass pours starting at $12, it reads like a love letter to the state written by someone who actually read the book. A Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2024 feels earned, not honorary.

Paseo leans all-in on California and doesn't apologize for it — which is exactly the right call for a bistro sitting in the heart of Marin. The heavy-hitters are here: Ridge Monte Bello, Shafer Hillside Select, Paul Hobbs Cab, Kistler Chardonnay. These aren't random name-drops; they're the anchors of a list that knows its identity. What's missing is some adventurous depth outside the California canon — no real international detour, no natural wine flank — but within its lane, the curation is sharp. Flowers Pinot Noir and Duckhorn Merlot add approachable middle ground so the list doesn't feel like it's only for people who want to spend $150.

Twelve to twenty options by the glass is a genuinely respectable spread, and the $12-$18 range keeps things accessible without feeling like a house wine situation. We'd want to see the program rotate more aggressively — right now it feels like the glass list was set once and left to run — but what's there represents the bottle list well.