Better Than It Has Any Right To Be
John Wayne Airport – Terminal B · Santa Ana · Wine Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 16, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Vino Volo – John Wayne Airport’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Vino Volo mid-terminal, bags in tow and gate anxiety kicking in, the bar actually feels like a place you want to sit down. It's polished without being pretentious, and the staff moves with a purpose you don't usually see at airports. Your expectations are low walking in — they shouldn't be.
The list leans into a hits-from-around-the-world format: California, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina — the usual suspects done reasonably well. Don't come expecting an adventurous deep dive into Jura or the Canary Islands; this is a crowd-pleasing program built for travelers who want something recognizable and drinkable, not something that challenges them. The regional spread is wider than most airport bars manage, which at least gives you options beyond the Napa Cab or the anonymous Pinot Grigio. Gaps in the old-world depth are real, but for a terminal wine bar, the range is more than serviceable.
The by-the-glass program is the whole point here — most people aren't ordering bottles before a flight. The selection spans the main regions on the list, giving you a white, a red, and a rosé across a few price points without much drama. Rotation feels slow and tied to what moves quickly rather than what's seasonal or interesting, but the pours are honest and the glasses are clean.
The Bottom Line
Vino Volo clears the airport bar bar by a comfortable margin — better-than-expected service, a list that at least tries, and a seat that makes a delay feel like less of a punishment. Just don't look too hard at the markup and you'll be fine.
Santa Ana · Santa Ana · Italian Fine Dining
An Italian fine dining room with an Enoteca in its name serving five all-California wines and one glass pour is a contradiction we can't talk our way around. Skip the wine, order a Negroni, and hope the food earns the room's ambitions.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Santa Ana · Santa Ana · Wine Bar / Bistro
Robbin's Nest is exactly what a downtown wine bar should be — approachable, geographically curious, and clearly run by people who aren't just going through the motions. If you're in Santa Ana and want a real glass of wine without the pretense, this is your spot.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Coast Metro · Santa Ana · New American / Tasting Menu
Old Vine is the rare suburban restaurant where the wine list feels like a genuine priority, not an afterthought. If you're in the South Coast Metro area and want a bottle that required someone to think about it, this is your spot.
Solid Range
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
· Santa Ana · New American / Wine Bar
Darkroom is punching well above its weight class for a 14-bottle program — the selection is sharp, the pricing is honest, and the list has a clear point of view. Send a wine-curious friend here and tell them to ask for the Riesling.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Santa Ana / Floral Park-adjacent · Santa Ana · Italian (Tuscan/Florentine-focused)
Baci di Firenze isn't building a wine destination — it's building a neighborhood restaurant that happens to have the right Italian bottles for its Italian food, at prices that won't make you wince. Send a friend here for a low-key date night and tell them to order the Vernaccia.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Coast Metro · Santa Ana · Upscale Italian
Antonello is the real deal for classic Italian fine dining wine in Orange County — deep list, proper cellar, staff who know what they're talking about. Just go in knowing that the prestige pricing is part of the deal, and steer toward the mid-tier gems rather than the trophy bottles if you want to walk out feeling smart.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Telluride · Wine Bar
Communion is a focused, deliberate wine bar that built a short list with real intention — anchored on Leitz, punctuated by a standout Chave Selections white, and thoughtful enough to include non-alcoholic options alongside the serious stuff. We don't have pricing data to confirm value, and the list is compact enough that adventurous drinkers may want more range — but what's here is chosen with care. If you're in Telluride and want wine that someone actually thought about, this is your stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Downtown St. Helena · St. Helena · Wine Bar
Elsewhere is doing something genuinely useful in St. Helena: giving people a place to drink well after dinner without the pageantry of a tasting room or the markup theater of a hotel bar. We can't confirm every bottle or price point from here, but a sommelier-driven list with Napa, Burgundy, and Bordeaux range plus honest small plates earns a look. Go in, talk to the staff, and let them guide you — that's exactly what this kind of place is built for.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Healdsburg · Wine Bar
Maison is what happens when someone builds a wine bar list with genuine curiosity instead of a regional checklist — you're in the heart of Sonoma Wine Country and the list keeps pointing you toward Mosel Riesling, Douro whites, and 1934 Madeira. The by-the-glass program alone justifies a visit, and the pricing is fair enough that you can explore without flinching. If you're in Healdsburg and you actually care about wine, this is the stop.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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