Uncle Sal's Italian Restaurant

The wine list at Uncle Sal's reads like it was assembled to check boxes rather than to excite anyone. About 40 labels, a couple of Italian stalwarts, and a handful of recognizable California and international names — nothing here is going to surprise you, and that feels intentional. It's the kind of list that exists to sell wine, not celebrate it.

The backbone is Italian — Ruffino Chianti and Pighin Pinot Grigio anchor the European side — but the depth stops there. You've got Catena Malbec covering Argentina, Mollydooker The Boxer for the crowd that wants big fruit from Australia, and Rombauer Chardonnay for the Napa crowd who won't order anything else. La Scolca Gavi di Gavi is a legitimately solid pick and the most interesting thing on the list. Beyond that, the bottom tier is propped up by Vista Point across multiple varietals — a private-label house wine brand that signals the restaurant isn't spending much thought (or budget) on that section of the list.

Eighteen by-the-glass options is a generous count for a list this size, and the $9–$15 range is accessible enough. But a chunk of those pours are Vista Point, which retails around $10 a bottle — so you're getting one glass for nearly the price of the whole bottle at your local grocery store. The highlights on the pour list are the Italian options; lean into those if you're going glass-by-glass.