SO·PA

Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara Chardonnay — $45–$55

Au Bon Climat is one of California's most consistently excellent Chardonnay producers and tends to be priced honestly on restaurant lists. At SO·PA's reported bottle range, this is the kind of wine that drinks well above its price tag — rich but not overworked, and a natural match for the seasonal vegetable and fish dishes on the menu.

Ridge Vineyards

Ridge gets overlooked in favor of flashier Napa names, but it's one of California's most serious producers with decades of track record. If Ridge is on the list here — and it is — that's the bottle a lot of diners walk past on their way to something with a bigger marketing budget. Don't.

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Stag's Leap is a legitimate producer with serious history, but Napa Cab at a resort restaurant is almost always where the markup gets aggressive. Unless you can verify the price is honest, this is the category where SO·PA is most likely to charge you for the label and the ambiance simultaneously.

Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir + Locally sourced fish

A cool-climate Sonoma Coast Pinot has the acidity and red fruit to complement a well-prepared piece of local fish without steamrolling it. It's the kind of pairing that feels obvious once you've done it, and exactly the kind of move the farm-to-table menu at SO·PA is built for.