Three Bottles Does Not a Wine List Make
· Irvine · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · October 4, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Reunion Kitchen + Drink Tustin’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Three wines. That's it. You flip open the wine section and it's over before it started — a Chardonnay, a Cab, and a Pinot, all from brands you've seen at the airport Hudson News. This is not a wine list; it's a placeholder.
Hess, Freakshow, and Acrobat aren't embarrassing labels, but they're supermarket-tier picks with zero regional intentionality. There's no white beyond the Chardonnay, no rosé, no sparkling, no exploration of California beyond the obvious comfort zone. The list reads like someone called a distributor rep once and said 'send us the usuals.' For a New American kitchen, which should naturally invite some wine curiosity, this is a swing and a miss.
Every wine on the list is available by the glass, which sounds generous until you realize the list is only three bottles long. Prices run $13.95 to $16.95 per glass — not outrageous in isolation, but steep when you consider the brands involved retail in the $12–$18 bottle range. You're paying restaurant markup on mass-market wines, which stings a little.
The Bottom Line
Reunion Kitchen isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list proves it. Three by-the-glass pours from mass-market California producers, priced at a premium — this is a wine program on autopilot. Order a cocktail or a beer and save the wine for somewhere that actually thought about it.
Corona del Mar · Irvine · New American and Seafood
CdM is genuinely worth your Wednesday. Half-price wine on an already polished dinner menu is a real offer, and the room alone justifies a reservation. We just can't tell you which bottle to order yet — the wine program is opaque enough that you'd be flying blind without a server who actually knows the list. Come for the Dirty Pasta and the vibe; if the wine follows, consider it a bonus.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Irvine Business Complex · Irvine · Northern Italian Steakhouse
Davio's Irvine is the wine list equivalent of a reliable business-class seat — comfortable, well-organized, and priced at a premium you'll notice. The by-the-glass program is the real strength here; thirty options with some genuinely good producers mixed in means you can eat well and drink reasonably well in the same visit. If you're hoping to geek out on the bottle list or find anything that'll make you lean forward in your chair, keep looking — but for a weeknight dinner or a client meal, this gets the job done without embarrassing anyone.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Coast Plaza · Irvine · Seafood
Water Grill South Coast Plaza has built a white-wine-forward list that's genuinely well-suited to what's on the plate — smart European picks alongside reliable California anchors, and enough BTG options to keep things interesting across a long meal. Markups run steep in places, especially on the recognizable names, but the value plays are there if you know where to look. For a seafood-focused dinner in Irvine, this is one of the better wine programs you'll find without driving to the coast.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Irvine · Eclectic American
Rutabegorz isn't trying to be a wine destination — and that's fine, because the pricing is honest enough that wine actually works here as a casual add-on rather than a line item you regret. If you're eating here, order the Rancho Sisquoc Riesling and feel slightly smarter than the table next to you ordering the Josh.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Irvine · Steakhouse
Bourbon Steak Irvine is running one of the most ambitious wine programs in Orange County — 225 labels, 31 by the glass, and a list with genuine personality beyond the expected steakhouse anchors. Markups get steep at the top end, but the by-the-glass range at the $15–$32 tier offers real drinking at fair prices. If you care about what's in your glass, this list rewards the attention.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Irvine · Health-focused New American
True Food Kitchen Irvine's wine list won't offend anyone, but it also won't excite anyone. It's a safe, corporate-approved selection built for wide appeal — which fits the brand but leaves real wine drinkers doing a lot of the heavy lifting. If you're here, order the Tablas Creek and move on with your evening.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· McMinnville · New American
Thistle is the kind of neighborhood restaurant that McMinnville deserves — rooted in place, edited in approach, and situated in one of the best wine regions in North America. We can't name specific bottles right now, but the regional focus on Willamette Valley and France tells us the list has a point of view. If you're heading to wine country and want a real dinner, this is worth a reservation.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Decatur · New American
Miller Union is doing something unusual: a wine program with no fat on it, just four deliberate producers matched to a meal's arc. We don't have pricing data to grade the value, and the fixed structure won't satisfy anyone looking to explore freely — but the bones of this list are genuinely good. If you trust the kitchen, trust the wine program too.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Oakhurst · Decatur · New American
Scout is punching above its weight class for a neighborhood spot in Oakhurst — a white-wine-forward list built with actual curiosity, fair pricing, and enough depth to reward guests who look past the obvious pours. If you care even a little about what's in your glass, this is worth a detour.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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