Villaggio Grille

Opening the list at Villaggio Grille feels like flipping through a greatest hits album of California wine — you know every track, and honestly, some of them still slap. It's a tight, trophy-friendly lineup that leans hard on names people recognize from the grocery store wine aisle, just with nicer labels. For a beach town Italian spot holding a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2010, it's comfortable and confident, if not exactly adventurous.

The 150-plus bottle list is essentially a California showcase — Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Duckhorn, Rombauer, Stag's Leap, Grgich Hills — the kind of names that make a table of business travelers feel safe ordering without asking questions. What's missing is anything to get genuinely excited about: no real Italian representation worth noting for an Italian restaurant, no Barolo or Brunello to anchor the pasta courses, and zero presence from anywhere outside the Napa-Sonoma corridor. The Award of Excellence credential is earned, but the list reads more like a curated hotel wine program than something a wine-obsessed kitchen built from scratch. If you love California Cabernet, this is your spot; if you want Sardinian Vermentino with your seafood risotto, look elsewhere.

With 12 to 20 pours available by the glass at $10 to $18, there's enough range to navigate a full meal without committing to a bottle. Expect the usual suspects — Rombauer Chardonnay almost certainly anchors the white section, which is a crowd-pleaser for a reason even if it's become a cliché. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority here, so what you see tonight is probably what was there last month.