Chinese Food, Burgundy, and Livermore Valley Pride
Livermore · Asian · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Uncle Yu's at the Vineyard’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
A wine list at a Chinese restaurant in Livermore that holds a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence since 2006 — yeah, we did a double-take too. Flip through it and the thing makes complete sense: this is wine country dining, and Uncle Yu's leans into that identity hard. The local Livermore Valley presence is front and center, and the list builds outward from there in smart, deliberate directions.
The 150-250 bottle list anchors itself in California — particularly Livermore Valley locals like Wente Vineyards, Concannon Vineyard, Murrieta's Well, and Cedar Mountain Winery — which gives the list a sense of place you rarely find in Asian restaurants anywhere. From there it reaches into Burgundy via Louis Jadot, Oregon Pinot with Domaine Drouhin, and a genuinely solid German Riesling section pulling from Mosel and Rheingau producers, including Egon Müller. That Germany-meets-spice-forward-Asian-cuisine angle is not an accident; it's the smartest move on the list. The gaps are real — South America, Spain, and Italy are largely missing — but what's here is chosen with intention.
Twelve to twenty pours by the glass is a strong showing, and the $10–$18 price range keeps things accessible without feeling like a cash grab. We'd expect the Livermore Valley producers to anchor the glass program — this is exactly the kind of list where you can explore your backyard without committing to a full bottle. Rotation frequency is unclear, but the Active Program designation on specials suggests this isn't a set-and-forget situation.
Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs 2019 — $65
Schramsberg is one of California's most serious sparkling producers, and $65 for their Blanc de Blancs is a price you'll rarely see in a restaurant setting. It's the move before the Salt & Pepper Calamari hits the table.
Egon Müller Riesling Kabinett 2020
Most tables are going to reach for California Pinot or Burgundy and miss this entirely. Egon Müller is a Mosel legend, and a Kabinett at $120 — with its laser-cut acidity and barely-there sweetness — cuts through Szechuan heat better than anything else on the list.
Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
At $2,800, this is a flex play, not a dining play. Screaming Eagle at a restaurant is always a vanity purchase, and with Szechuan Dan Dan Noodles on the table, you're just setting $2,800 on fire. Respect the bottle, skip the order.
Egon Müller Riesling Kabinett 2020 + Szechuan Dan Dan Noodles
Off-dry German Riesling and numbing Szechuan spice is one of the most reliable combinations in food and wine. The Kabinett's residual sugar tempers the heat while the acidity keeps your palate alive through the whole bowl. This is exactly why the German section exists on this list.
Tuesday — Half-price wine night every Tuesday — one of the better standing deals in the Tri-Valley dining scene.
The Bottom Line
Uncle Yu's is the rare restaurant where the wine list actually reflects where it is and what it's serving — a Livermore Valley anchor with Burgundy ambitions and the good sense to stock German Riesling for a spice-forward menu. Tuesday half-price nights alone make this worth putting in the calendar.
· Livermore · Italian
Pasta's Trattoria won't blow any wine nerds away, but it's a genuinely solid neighborhood Italian spot that takes its wine seriously enough to make dinner feel complete. If you're in Pleasanton and want a reliable glass with your risotto, you won't be disappointed.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· Livermore · Italian / Sports Bar
Range Cafe isn't destination wine drinking, but it's a better list than a bocce club has any business running — just don't come looking for adventure outside the California Cabernet universe. Order the Zin, skip the trophy bottles, and focus on the game.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Livermore · Cocktail Bar / Small Plates
Le Nocturne is a genuinely fun room with a French menu that deserves a better wine list than what the concept seems to prioritize — the atmosphere earns it Wild Card status because the potential is real, but until the wine program matches the culinary ambition, order a cocktail and come back when they figure it out. If you're going for wine, go informed and go with a bottle.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Livermore · New American / Gastropub
Rebel Kitchen's wine list doesn't rebel against anything — it's eleven safe bottles with steep markups in a region that's literally surrounded by wineries. Order a cocktail, which is clearly what they actually care about.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Livermore · Cocktail Bar / New American
Black Cat is a Wild Card in the best way: it's a buzzy cocktail bar that actually thought about its wine program, sits in genuine wine country, and throws in a no-corkage Thursday deal that most full wine bars would never offer. We'd send a friend here — and we'd tell them to bring a bottle from down the road.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown Livermore · Livermore · Greek & Mediterranean
Demitri's isn't a destination wine bar, but it's doing something genuine — pairing Greek imports with award-winning local Livermore producers in a setting that actually makes the wine feel connected to what's on your plate. Send a friend here if they think Livermore is just suburban sprawl; the wine list will surprise them.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
ISB Corridor · Daytona Beach · Asian
P.F. Chang's ISB Corridor isn't a wine destination, but it's not an embarrassment either — especially on Monday when half-price bottles make The Prisoner or Stags' Leap an actual value play. Come for the lettuce wraps, drink the Riesling, and know what you're walking into.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
North Spokane · Spokane · Asian
P.F. Chang's wine list exists to check a box, not to enhance your dinner. Order the Ste. Michelle Riesling, enjoy your lettuce wraps, and keep your expectations firmly at chain-restaurant level.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Media · Media · Asian
A French-focused wine list inside an upscale Pan-Asian restaurant in Media, Pennsylvania shouldn't work this well — and yet here we are. If you're within driving distance and you appreciate the idea of Alsatian Riesling with Peking duck, make the trip.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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