California Classics Meet Stone Crab Season
Washington · Washington · Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 11, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Truluck's D.C. reads like a greatest hits album of California wine — familiar, crowd-pleasing, and assembled with confidence if not much adventurousness. It's a list built to make the expense-account crowd feel at home, and it does that job well. Wine Spectator handed them an Award of Excellence in 2025, which tracks: this is a competent, polished program even if it doesn't take many swings.
Two hundred to three hundred bottles deep and almost entirely anchored in California, the list leans heavily on Napa Cabernet and Chardonnay from names everyone already knows — Caymus, Silver Oak, Far Niente, Duckhorn, Stag's Leap. It's a reliable roster, but if you're looking for Burgundy, Rhône, or anything outside the coastal California comfort zone, you'll be underwhelmed. The depth within California is real, though: multiple producers across Chardonnay and Cab give you genuine options rather than just one of each. What's missing is curiosity — there's no Willamette Pinot, no Loire Chenin, nothing to make a wine nerd lean forward.
The by-the-glass program runs 20-35 options, which is genuinely generous for a seafood steakhouse format, and the $14–$22 range is what you'd expect downtown D.C. Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay and Rombauer show up here, which are solid pours for the style of food. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority — this feels like a stable, static list rather than something the kitchen is running plays with week to week.
Jordan Winery Chardonnay — $14-$18 by the glass
Jordan Chardonnay is one of the more restrained, food-friendly California whites on the list — less oak-bomb than Rombauer, more elegance than Sonoma-Cutrer. At the lower end of the by-the-glass range, it's the move before your stone crab arrives.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
Most people at a seafood restaurant overlook the Cabernets entirely, which is a mistake when Stag's Leap is on the list. It's one of the more nuanced Napa Cabs here — less extracted than Caymus, with real structure — and it holds up surprisingly well against Truluck's richer lobster preparations.
Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is everywhere, marked up everywhere, and reliably overpriced everywhere. At a restaurant charging D.C. prices in a tourist-adjacent location, you can count on paying a significant premium for a bottle you can find at Total Wine for $80. The wine itself is fine; the value proposition here is not.
Far Niente Chardonnay + Scallops
Far Niente is richer and more textured than most California Chardonnays, with enough body to stand up to seared scallops without overwhelming their sweetness. It's the kind of pairing that makes sense even if you didn't plan it — the butter in both the wine and the dish just find each other.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Truluck's is a dependable, well-run wine program that earns its Wine Spectator nod without doing anything surprising — California loyalists and Napa Cab fans will be perfectly happy here. If you want adventure, bring your own recommendations; if you want reliable execution with your stone crab, this delivers.
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Maydan's wine list is one of the most geographically coherent and genuinely adventurous in Washington, DC — it matches the kitchen's ambition and then some. If you're willing to let go of the familiar, this is one of the best by-the-glass programs in the city for opening your eyes to what the wine world looks like beyond Europe.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Moon Rabbit's wine list is doing something rare: it's short enough to read in two minutes and interesting enough to talk about for twenty. If you care about well-chosen, adventurous bottles at prices that won't wreck your dinner bill, send your people here.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Georgetown · Washington · French
Lutèce earns its Wine Spectator nod with a tightly curated French list that goes deeper than the cozy Georgetown bistro setting might suggest. The pricing skews steep once you move past the Loire and Alsace sections, but if you drink strategically — and let Chris point the way — this is a genuinely rewarding wine experience.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Washington · Washington · Spanish
Xiquet is doing something genuinely rare in D.C. — a tightly edited, Spain-first wine program inside a room that actually earns it. Four sommeliers and a Wood Spectator Award of Excellence since 2023 confirm this isn't an accident; just know you're paying for the setting as much as the bottle.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Washington · Washington · Italian
Via Sophia is doing something genuinely focused in a city full of lists that try to please everyone — an all-Italy program with real depth, fair pricing, and a sommelier who actually cares. Send your friends here, tell them to ignore the Sassicaia, and order the Amarone.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Washington · Washington · American, European
The Pembroke is a reliable, well-run wine program that knows its audience and serves them well — just don't come expecting to discover anything new. If California classics in a beautiful room sound good to you, Philip Dunne and team have you covered.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Highland Street · Worcester · Seafood
The Sole Proprietor is a reliable, crowd-pleasing list that does exactly what a classic seafood institution should — it just won't thrill anyone looking for adventure or a fair deal on the big names. Order the oysters, pick the DuMol, and leave the Opus One for someone else's expense account.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Riverside · Riverside · Seafood
Red Lobster Riverside isn't a wine destination — it's a seafood chain with a wine list that exists because it has to. If you're here, drink the Riesling or the Prosecco, enjoy your biscuits, and keep your expectations calibrated accordingly.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Canyon Crest / Riverside Plaza area · Riverside · Seafood
Market Broiler Riverside is a dependable night out for seafood — the wine list won't excite anyone who's been paying attention, but it won't embarrass you either. Send a friend here for dinner without hesitation; just don't tell them to geek out on the wine program.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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