Ceviche
Spain's Greatest Hits, Beach Drive Edition
St. Petersburg · St. Petersburg · Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 12, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walk into Ceviche on Beach Drive and the wine list reads like a love letter to the Iberian Peninsula — which is exactly what you want when gambas al ajillo is on the way. For St. Pete, this is a genuinely ambitious program: 150-200 bottles with a clear point of view and a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence to back it up. It's not a destination wine bar, but it's doing something most coastal Florida restaurants aren't.
Selection Deep Dive
The Spain-first focus is real and it works. Rioja Reserva anchors the reds, Ribera del Duero Tempranillo gives it some muscle, and Priorat shows up for the serious drinkers who want something with teeth. On the white side, Albariño from Rías Baixas is the obvious call for a seafood-heavy menu — and they lean into it. The most interesting move is the inclusion of Manzanilla and Fino Sherries, which most restaurants still treat as an afterthought; here they get proper placement. Gaps exist — if you want to go off-Spain, the list thins out fast.
By the Glass
Twenty to thirty by-the-glass options is genuinely generous, and the $10-$18 range keeps it accessible. Cava is a strong opening move at the glass level, and having Albariño poured by the glass at a beach-adjacent restaurant is exactly right. We'd love to see Sherry by the glass get more prominent placement — it's on the list, and it deserves a spotlight.
Albariño from Rías Baixas — $10-$14 per glass
Crisp, saline, built for seafood — and at this price point by the glass, it's the move before your ceviche even hits the table. Rías Baixas Albariño at a fair pour price is the easiest yes on this list.
Manzanilla Sherry
Most people scroll right past it, which is a mistake. Manzanilla is bone-dry, briny, and wickedly good with anything from the sea. It's one of the most food-friendly wines on earth and it costs less than most glasses here — if you haven't tried it, this is a low-risk, high-reward introduction.
Priorat red
Big, tannic, and priced toward the top of the list — Priorat can be spectacular, but at a lively restaurant with seafood-forward plates, it's often the wrong call for the setting. Unless you're committed to the full cheese and charcuterie route, your money works harder elsewhere on this list.
Fino Sherry + Gambas al ajillo
Fino's nutty, dry, ultra-savory character cuts right through the garlic butter and amplifies the sweetness of the shrimp. It's one of the great classic pairings of Spanish cuisine and Ceviche is one of the few Florida restaurants where you can actually pull it off.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Ceviche is the best Spanish wine list you're likely to find on the Gulf Coast of Florida, and it earns its Wine Spectator credential without feeling stuffy about it. If you're eating Iberian food and drinking anything other than Spanish wine here, you're doing it wrong.
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