Vaca

You're in Costa Mesa, next to a performing arts center, surrounded by pre-show diners — and somehow the wine list is a love letter to the Iberian Peninsula done right. Vaca's list hits differently than anything else in Orange County. This isn't a Spanish restaurant that grabbed a few Riojas to check a box; this is a program with a point of view.

The Spain-first focus is serious and specific — we're talking a list estimated at 300 to 500 selections that digs deep into regions most OC diners couldn't find on a map. Rioja and Ribera del Duero are well represented, but the list earns its reputation by going further: expect Priorat, Galicia, and serious sherry selections that Vaca has been recognized for by the Sherry Wine Regulatory Council. The producers are the real deal — Miguel Torres, one of Spain's most important winemaking families, gets featured in dedicated wine dinners here, which tells you where the restaurant's priorities are. The gap, if there is one, is that guests unfamiliar with Spanish wine may need a nudge from staff to navigate it confidently.

With an estimated 15 to 25 pours running $14 to $28 a glass, the BTG program is one of the stronger ones in the county. The range should cover everything from crisp Albariño for the ceviche crowd to structured Tempranillo for the dry-aged steak table. Rotation and curation appear to track the kitchen's seasonal direction, though a more aggressive glass program would push this into Rager territory.