Callie
San Diego's Wine List Just Grew Up
Gaslamp Quarter · San Diego · Californian, Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Callie lands with the kind of weight that makes you put down your phone and actually read it. Six hundred to eight hundred selections in the Gaslamp Quarter is not what you expect, and the anchors — Krug, DRC, Chateau Margaux — signal immediately that someone here is serious. This is a list built by people who drink wine, not just sell it.
Selection Deep Dive
The four pillars of France, Champagne, Italy, and California are all handled with real depth and intention. Champagne runs from house pours up through Louis Roederer Cristal, Italy checks in with Sassicaia, and California delivers both the crowd-pleasing Caymus Special Selection and the more thoughtful Peter Michael and Ridge Monte Bello. Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet on the Burgundy side shows the list isn't just skewing toward big reds and trophy bottles. The gaps — if any — are probably in emerging regions, but with 600-plus bottles nobody's going home disappointed.
By the Glass
Twenty to thirty by-the-glass options is a serious pour program for a restaurant of this caliber, and the $15–$30 range gives you room to move up or down depending on the occasion. We'd expect the glass list to reflect the same France-Italy-California axis that drives the bottle list, which means there are genuinely interesting options here beyond the usual suspects. Ask James Roe or Mehdi Berraha what's on the pour right now — these are the folks who can actually steer you somewhere worth going.
Ridge Monte Bello — $60+
Ridge Monte Bello is one of California's benchmark Cabernet-based wines and consistently punches above its price point relative to the trophy bottles surrounding it on this list. On a list that stocks DRC and Margaux, Monte Bello is where the value conversation actually lives.
Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet
In a room full of Napa Cabs and Champagne, Leflaive's Puligny-Montrachet gets overlooked — which is a crime. This is one of the finest white Burgundy producers on the planet, and most tables will walk right past it chasing the big reds. Order it with the whole roasted fish and feel smug about your decision.
Caymus Vineyards Special Selection
Caymus Special Selection is a reliable wine and a crowd favorite, but on a list this strong it's also the easy button — and you'll pay a premium for name recognition. The same money spent elsewhere on this list gets you something far more interesting.
Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet + Whole Roasted Fish
Leflaive's Puligny brings enough richness and texture to stand up to wood-roasted fish without bulldozing it. The subtle oak and bright acidity cut through the char while the wine's depth matches the earthiness of the cooking method. This is the pairing that makes you slow down.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Callie is the rare San Diego restaurant where the wine list is a genuine destination, not an afterthought — the Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator is earned, not ceremonial. If you're in the Gaslamp and care about what's in your glass, this is where you go.
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