Bolero Restaurante

You're sitting in Temecula — Cab country, suburban wine trail territory — and the list that lands in your hands is almost entirely Spanish. It's a genuine surprise and a welcome one. Bolero isn't trying to compete with the neighboring Cali producers; it's playing a completely different game.

The list reads like a greatest-hits tour of the Iberian Peninsula, curated with real intention. Rioja shows up via Marqués de Riscal Reserva, a dependable workhorse that earns its spot. Ribera del Duero gets repped by Pesquera, which is exactly the kind of serious Tempranillo that makes the region's case. The crown jewel is Clos Mogador from Priorat — one of Spain's most ambitious and age-worthy bottles — which signals that whoever built this list actually cares. Galicia gets a nod with Pazo de Señoráns Albariño, rounding out the white options with something genuinely food-friendly. The gaps are real — no Portuguese representation, limited by-the-glass depth from what we can tell — but what's here is chosen with a point of view.

We don't have a confirmed glass list count, but with a Spanish-focused program and a sommelier like Joseph Rose at the helm, the expectation is that Albariño and Cava are pouring. If Cava by the glass is on offer via Codorníu or Freixenet, that's a smart, affordable opener before you commit to a bottle. Ask the staff what's open — they'll steer you right.