The Restaurant at the Willcox

The wine list at the Willcox feels exactly like the room it lives in — polished, comfortable, and not trying to surprise you. It's a California greatest-hits collection served inside a 19th-century inn that smells like history and money. If you came here hoping for funky Jura whites or grower Champagne, adjust your expectations now.

Sommelier Matthew Sayer has built a list that leans hard into the Napa Valley canon: Caymus, Jordan, Silver Oak, Stag's Leap, Duckhorn, Cakebread, Rombauer — the wines your dad orders with confidence and your dinner companions recognize on sight. The 150-250 bottle range gives it enough depth to feel serious, and the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2014 confirms the program is consistently maintained. What's missing is adventurousness — there's little here from Burgundy, the Rhône, Spain, or anywhere outside the California comfort zone. That's a deliberate choice, not an oversight, and it works for the clientele.

With 12-20 pours available, the by-the-glass program is a genuine strength here — you're not stuck choosing between two anonymous house wines. Expect Rombauer Chardonnay and at least one Napa Cabernet to anchor the whites and reds respectively. Rotation seems limited; this isn't a list that changes weekly, but what's there is dependable.