The Tides

The Tides plays it like a confident beach town restaurant that knows its crowd — and its crowd wants Caymus and Silver Oak. The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2019 signals some real intention here, even if the list doesn't swing for the fences. It's comfortable, recognizable, and honestly kind of refreshing that they commit to a lane.

California is the story here, full stop. The list reads like a greatest-hits collection of Napa and Sonoma heavy-hitters — Stag's Leap, Jordan, Duckhorn, Rombauer — with 150 to 250 bottles that favor brand recognition over discovery. There's nothing wrong with that at a beachside fine dining spot in Vero Beach, but don't come looking for left-bank Bordeaux or natural pét-nat. The gaps are real: minimal Old World presence, and the list isn't going to surprise anyone who spends time on wine.

Somewhere between 12 and 20 pours by the glass, ranging $12 to $18, which is reasonable for the market. Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay is a solid anchor for white drinkers here. The glass program doesn't rotate aggressively — this is very much a set-it-and-forget-it situation — but the picks are crowd-tested and won't let you down.