Best Wine Lists in California

A.R. Valentien is doing something rare for a hotel restaurant: it's built a wine program that would stand on its own even without the Pacific Ocean views. Send your people here — just book ahead and don't skip the wine list.

Marisi is a reliable Italian wine list with genuine ambition hiding behind a steep markup structure — the producers are right, the regions are right, but you'll pay for the privilege. Go for the Produttori Barbaresco and the Pre-Phylloxera Barbera, and you'll leave satisfied.

Nine-Ten is a genuinely good restaurant with a competent wine program — the sommelier is present, the list is legitimate, and the setting earns the price of admission. But the markups are aggressive enough that you'll want to be selective, because this list can eat your wallet if you reach for the obvious names.

STK San Diego is a perfectly functional steakhouse wine list — it does exactly what it promises and absolutely nothing more. Come for the atmosphere and the beef, lean into happy hour if wine value matters to you, and don't show up expecting to be surprised.

Stake is the real deal — a 1,700-bottle list with genuine sommelier guidance and a kitchen that integrates wine into the experience rather than just selling it alongside. The pricing is steep, because this is Coronado and this is a serious steakhouse, but if you're already ordering a $75 Wagyu, the cellar absolutely earns its place at the table.

Callie is one of the most intentional wine programs in San Diego — curated, regionally coherent, and staffed by people who actually know what's in the cellar. The markups will cost you, but if you're going to spend, this is a list worth spending on.

Kingfisher isn't a wine destination, but it's a restaurant that took wine seriously enough to stock the right bottles for its food — which is rarer than it should be. Send a friend who appreciates the match between Riesling and fish sauce; skip it if they need a Napa Cab to feel at home.

Ciccia Osteria earns its reputation on the food, but the wine list is a genuine supporting player — focused, Italian, and mostly honest about what it is. The by-the-glass markups are steeper than they should be at this price point, but if you're ordering a bottle and staying in Italy, you're in good hands.

La Bella Café & Games is not your wine destination, but it's not trying to be — and at $7.50 for a Banfi Chianti while you shoot pool, it earns its keep. Send a friend here for a fun night out; just don't send them expecting a deep list.

BJ's is a perfectly good place to watch a game, eat a Pizookie, and drink a craft beer. The wine list exists, technically, but that's about the nicest thing we can say about it — order a Brewhouse Blonde and call it a night.

El Torito is not a wine destination — it's a margarita destination, and you should respect that boundary. If someone at the table insists on wine, point them toward the white house pour and move on with your evening.

Love Boat Sushi is a genuinely fun spot, but the wine list is purely functional — six bottles, no clear vision, and no reason to pick wine over beer or sake. Come for the combo platters, skip the Cab, and maybe grab a Sapporo.