Italian-Leaning List With a Few Surprises
· San Jose · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · October 9, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Lexington House’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The Lexington House wine list arrives with more intention than you'd expect from a mid-sized New American spot in San Jose. Fifty-one labels isn't massive, but the structure here — bubbles up front, a white and rosé section, then a proper Italian-heavy red lineup with a dedicated 'Wine Director Picks' section — tells you someone put some thought into this. The price floor starts reassuringly low.
The Italian coverage is the real story here. You've got Antinori's Chianti Classico Peppoli, a 2019 Francone Barolo, a Cesari Amarone, a Docet Supertuscan from 2015, and a Tenuta Montemagno Barbera d'Asti Superiore — that's a legitimate Italian red section, not just a Chianti and a Malbec as an afterthought. The bubbles section holds its own too, with Gaston Chiquet Blanc de Blancs sitting alongside the obligatory Veuve and Mumm. Beyond Italy, things thin out — Georg Breuer Riesling from Germany is a nice addition, and Viña Alberdi Rioja rounds out Spain, but the New World section leans on familiar names like Caymus Bonanza and Sea Sun Pinot Noir rather than pushing anywhere adventurous. Bordeaux gets a nod with M de Magnol Haut-Médoc, and an Angove GSM from South Australia adds at least one left-field pick.
One glass pour. One. The Ardenghi Prosecco Millesimato at $14/glass is the sole by-the-glass option we can confirm, and while it's a decent Conegliano Valdobbiadene with some vintage character, a single BTG option on a 51-bottle list is a real miss for anyone who isn't ready to commit to a full bottle. If you're here solo or just want a glass with dinner, your choices are Prosecco or Prosecco.
The Bottom Line
The Lexington House is doing more with its wine list than it gets credit for — that Italian section alone beats most comparable spots in the South Bay. The near-total absence of by-the-glass options is a frustrating structural gap, and the familiar crowd-pleasers in the New World section drag the overall ambition down a notch. But if you're ordering a bottle and you know to head straight for the Italian reds or the Director Picks, you'll drink well here.
Santana Row · San Jose · Modern Mediterranean
MESO's wine list is small, but it earns its keep by staying on-theme and keeping prices from going completely sideways. The Torres Albariño and Feudo Montoni are genuine finds at the lower end of the price range, and the happy hour window Monday through Friday gives you a legitimate reason to show up early. If you want a deep cellar or an adventurous natural wine program, look elsewhere — but if you want a glass that actually fits what's on your plate at a fair price, this list delivers.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· San Jose · Wine Bar
Rootstock is doing something genuinely uncommon for San Jose: building a wine list with a real perspective, fair prices, and enough depth to reward repeat visits. The pét-nat and multi-vintage Reeve presence alone put it ahead of most dedicated wine bars in the Bay. If you care about what's in your glass, this place deserves your attention.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Jose · Steakhouse
The Capital Grille San Jose is a reliable but unambitious wine program — it stocks the bottles a Napa-loving business dinner crowd expects and prices them accordingly. If you're looking for discovery or value, you won't find much here; if you need a solid Cab to go with a dry-aged steak and you're on someone else's tab, it does the job.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Jose · Italian
A Bellagio is doing something right: a 65-bottle Italian-leaning list with 19 glass options, fair pricing, and enough regional Italian depth to make the wine order as interesting as the food order. Staff confidence and dish data are unknowns from where we sit, but the list itself is worth showing up for — especially if you let the Montecucco Sangiovese talk you into a second glass.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Jose · New American
Orchard City Kitchen's all-glass wine program is a smart move that forces the list to work harder — and mostly it does. The selection punches above its weight with picks from Talley, August West, Tablas Creek, and J. Lassalle sharing space with genuinely interesting European pours. If you're in San Jose and want to drink something more interesting than the usual Cab-or-Chardonnay binary, this list gives you real options.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Jose · Japanese
Ozumo pulls off something most restaurants don't bother attempting: a tight, curated by-the-glass program that actually reflects a point of view. The Loire and Burgundy presence alongside skin-contact Pinot Gris and volcanic Soave tells you someone made real choices here. If you're eating Japanese and want to drink something more interesting than the house Pinot Noir, this list delivers — especially in that $13–$19 range.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
McGregor Boulevard · Fort Myers · New American
A wine list that tells you what is in the glass but not what it costs. For a steak, start with the Chappellet Signature Cabernet or the Gigondas, and ask the server for prices and by-the-glass availability since the list posts none. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Atlanta · Atlanta · New American
Trade Root plays it safe and charges for the privilege — markups lean steep and the list won't surprise anyone who's eaten at a mid-to-upscale American restaurant in the last decade. That said, 24 by-the-glass options anchored by a Coravin program gives you genuine flexibility, and the August Kesseler Riesling and Louis Latour Mâcon-Lugny are legit finds in an otherwise predictable lineup. If you need wine that won't cause a debate at the table, Trade Root delivers — just don't come looking for discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Woodcliff Hotel & Spa · Rochester · New American
A broad online list with a real Finger Lakes section and a few friendly glass pours. Order the $10 Hahn Pinot Noir or the $15 Apollo's Praise Scheurebe by the glass, or pick a New York bottle like the $35 Thirsty Owl Dry Riesling, and confirm current prices because the list is a live online menu. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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