California Classics Meet Stone Crab Season
Washington · Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Updated September 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 11, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Truluck's’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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.
Washington · Washington · Seafood
Oceanaire is a safe, well-executed wine destination for California Chardonnay lovers who want reliable bottles with their seafood without too many surprises. Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence since 2017 is well-earned for what it is — just know this list was built for comfort, not adventure.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
Georgetown · Washington · French
Lutèce is a strong place to explore French wine with a firm budget in mind. The posted list runs from a $64 Southern Rhône red to $600 Champagne, so tell Chris Ray what you want to spend and let that guide the conversation. Confirm prices and availability when you book or arrive.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Washington, DC · Washington · Steakhouse
STK DC is a vibe restaurant that treats wine as an accessory, not a feature. If you're here for the scene, the cocktails will serve you better than the list ever will.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Washington · Middle Eastern / North African
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
· Washington · Restaurant
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
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
· Sonoma · Seafood
Willi's is a wild card in the best sense — a casual Sonoma seafood bar running a wine list that belongs in a much more serious room. The by-the-glass depth alone is worth showing up for, and the pricing is honest by the region's standards. If you're anywhere near Healdsburg, order the Assyrtiko and thank us later.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Seafood
The Marshall Store earns its reputation as a low-key, scenic spot for fresh West Coast oysters and smoked salmon — and if that's your mission, it delivers. But the wine program is effectively an afterthought: undocumented, uncurated, and not a reason to visit. Bring a bottle from one of the Healdsburg producers down the road, check the corkage policy at the door, and spend your energy on the food.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Seafood
Nick's Cove earns a Wild Card badge because it's doing something specific and doing it with conviction: a seafood restaurant on the Sonoma Coast that built its list around sparkling wine and Chardonnay is a confident, logical bet. The markups get steep as you climb the ladder — Cristal at $750 and Dom Pérignon at $650 are priced for occasion, not for value — but there are real finds at the $80-$155 range if you know where to look. Come for the Failla, stay for the Radio-Coteau.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
