Breadsticks Deserve Better Than This
· Chula Vista · Italian Chain · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 17, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Romano's Macaroni Grill – Chula Vista’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
You open the menu and the wine section is basically a price tier list: $4, $5, $7, $9. No producers named, no regions, no varietals — just Red, White, and three sangrias with a La Marca Prosecco buried inside a cocktail. This isn't a wine list. It's a placeholder.
The entire list runs 11 options, and most of them are cocktails wearing a wine costume. The 'Red' and 'White' house pours are unnamed — which tells you everything you need to know about how seriously the wine program is taken here. La Marca Prosecco makes an appearance, but only as a cocktail ingredient in the Bellini, Aperol Spritz, and Limoncello Spritz. The 'Premium' tier at $9 doesn't even get a name. There is no regional story here, no Italian depth to match the cuisine, no attempt at curation.
Technically all 11 options are by the glass, which sounds impressive until you realize five of them are sangrias and spritz builds. The actual wine selection — two unnamed house pours, two unnamed premium pours — spans four bottles. That's it. Rotation is not a concept that applies here.
The Bottom Line
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.
La Jolla / Torrey Pines · Chula Vista · Regional California Cuisine / American Fine Dining
A.R. Valentien is doing something rare for a hotel restaurant: it's built a wine program that would stand on its own even without the Pacific Ocean views. Send your people here — just book ahead and don't skip the wine list.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
La Jolla · Chula Vista · Italian
Marisi is a reliable Italian wine list with genuine ambition hiding behind a steep markup structure — the producers are right, the regions are right, but you'll pay for the privilege. Go for the Produttori Barbaresco and the Pre-Phylloxera Barbera, and you'll leave satisfied.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Jolla · Chula Vista · Contemporary American
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.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Gaslamp Quarter · Chula Vista · Modern Steakhouse / Contemporary American
STK San Diego is a perfectly functional steakhouse wine list — it does exactly what it promises and absolutely nothing more. Come for the atmosphere and the beef, lean into happy hour if wine value matters to you, and don't show up expecting to be surprised.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Coronado · Chula Vista · Modern steakhouse / chophouse
Stake is the real deal — a 1,700-bottle list with genuine sommelier guidance and a kitchen that integrates wine into the experience rather than just selling it alongside. The pricing is steep, because this is Coronado and this is a serious steakhouse, but if you're already ordering a $75 Wagyu, the cellar absolutely earns its place at the table.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Downtown San Diego (East Village) · Chula Vista · Modern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern–inspired Californian
Callie is one of the most intentional wine programs in San Diego — curated, regionally coherent, and staffed by people who actually know what's in the cellar. The markups will cost you, but if you're going to spend, this is a list worth spending on.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Route 9 South · Poughkeepsie · Italian Chain
Olive Garden's wine list is exactly what you'd expect from a national chain that considers breadsticks the main event — functional, safe, and completely unambitious. Come for the pasta, drink the Chianti Classico, and don't expect anything more.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Avenue / South Hot Springs · Hot Springs · Italian Chain
Olive Garden's wine list is the automotive equivalent of a rental car: it gets you where you're going, nobody's excited about it, and you return it without a second thought. Come for the breadsticks, drink the Chianti, and keep your expectations appropriately parked.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Atherton · State College · Italian Chain
Olive Garden's wine list exists to check a box, not to enhance a meal — it's corporate, static, and marked up past the point of good value. Order the Chianti Classico if you must, but honestly, grab the cocktail menu instead.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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