Solid Midtown Bistro, But Bring Your Wallet
Midtown · Sacramento · Seasonal New American with Northern Italian and Southern French influences · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 22, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Waterboy’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The Waterboy's wine list arrives looking the part — structured, thoughtful, clearly assembled by someone who knows the menu. The Old World leanings toward Piedmont, Provence, and the Rhône make sense alongside the kitchen's Northern Italian and Southern French DNA. But flip to the prices and that warm feeling cools off fast.
The list earns points for coherence — Italian and Southern French selections anchor the backbone, with California producers filling out the domestic side. Names like Bedrock Wine Co., Ramey, and Margerum show real curation, not just distributor defaults. There's a promising Austrian corner with the Loimer Grüner Veltliner and a nod to New Zealand via Craggy Range, which signals a list-maker who actually travels beyond the usual suspects. The gaps are real though: no obvious deep Burgundy bench, and the Champagne options lean heavily on big-house names at steep premiums.
The by-the-glass program shows flashes of personality — spotting a Schloss Vollrads Riesling on the pour list at a Sacramento neighborhood bistro is genuinely worth a double take. Full glass program counts aren't published, which is frustrating, but that Riesling alone tells you someone gave a damn when building it. Rotation cadence is unclear; this feels more like a set list than a living program.
Loimer Grüner Veltliner Lois 2022 — $42
Retails around $18, so yes, the markup stings like everything else here — but at $42 it's still one of the more approachable bottles on the list, and Grüner's bright acidity and white pepper kick are tailor-made for the lighter fish and chicken dishes coming out of this kitchen.
Schloss Vollrads Riesling 2019
A Rheingau Riesling by the glass at a Capitol Avenue bistro? Most tables are going to blow right past this and order the Chardonnay. Don't. Vollrads has been making wine since the 1300s and this pour brings real mineral tension and restrained fruit that cuts through rich preparations in a way the California whites simply can't.
Château de Trinquevedel Tavel Rosé 2022
At $58 for a bottle that retails at $23, this is the steepest markup on the list — 152% over retail. Tavel is great, and Trinquevedel is a solid producer, but you're paying nearly $35 above what a good wine shop charges. This one's carrying the restaurant's overhead on its back.
Bedrock Wine Co. Old Vine Zinfandel Sonoma Valley 2021 + Steak frites
Bedrock's Old Vine Zin brings serious savory depth and enough structure to stand up to a properly seared steak, while the wine's dark fruit and subtle spice echo the fat and char of the frites. It's a California-proud combination that actually makes sense on this menu.
The Bottom Line
The Waterboy is a genuinely good neighborhood restaurant with a wine list that respects the cuisine — the Old World backbone fits the kitchen, and the occasional left-field pick (hello, Vollrads Riesling) shows someone's paying attention. The markups are consistently steep across the board though, so calibrate your budget before you start pointing at bottles.
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Ro Sham Beaux is punching well above its weight class for a 13-bottle list — the selection is genuinely surprising, the prices are fair, and it fills a real gap in the Sacramento natural wine scene. Send your adventurous friends; warn the Chardonnay-only crowd.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Sacramento · Tapas / Wine Bar
At $9 a glass across the board, the pricing is about the only thing we can confidently praise here. Until Karma Brew tells us what's actually in the bottle, this is a coin flip dressed up as a wine program.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Nine Spanish wines, fair prices, and zero apologies — The Nook is a wild card worth taking. If you want a broad international list, look elsewhere; if you want a focused, confident program that actually knows what it's doing, pull up a stool.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Aiona's wine list is doing more than most Italian restaurants would dare — global picks, fair glass prices, and a genuine point of view that rewards curious drinkers. Send a friend here and tell them to ignore the obvious choices.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Franquette is what happens when someone who actually cares about wine opens a small café and refuses to phone in the list. Ten bottles, nine by the glass, all French (almost), fairly priced — send your friends here and tell them to order the Crémant first.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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The Snug is a cocktail bar first and a wine destination never — but for what it is, the wine list is shockingly well-curated and worth exploring if you're the one at the table who doesn't want a Negroni. Don't come here for a deep wine night; do come here knowing the glass of Gamay you order between cocktails will be better than it has any right to be.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
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