Abbot Kinney's Wine List Has Actual Range
Venice · Los Angeles · California/New American with Italian and Mediterranean influences · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 21, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Gjelina hits differently than you'd expect from a buzzy Venice scene restaurant. Instead of the usual California-heavy crowd-pleaser lineup, you're looking at grower Champagnes, deep Loire cuts, and Italian oddities that suggest someone with actual opinions built this list. It's the kind of list that makes you want to skip the cocktail.
The list leans hard into France and Italy, and it's better for it. Grower Champagnes from Chartogne-Taillet and Jacques Lassaigne anchor the sparkling section, while the Loire shows up with a 1997 Moulin Touchais Chenin Blanc — a genuinely rare find on a restaurant list in LA. The Italian presence is similarly considered, with G.D. Vajra's Barolo Chinato and Lombardy metodo classico bottles that most places wouldn't even think to stock. California makes an appearance too, but it's curated rather than reflexive — the Moraga Sauvignon Blanc from Bel Air is a local curiosity worth seeking out. The one gap: if you're hunting for broad Southern Hemisphere or Spanish representation, you'll come up short.
The by-the-glass program runs 12–18 options and rotates, which is the right call for a list this adventurous. Prices start around $25 a glass, which is Venice pricing — you're paying for the zip code alongside the wine. The rotation means what you read about online may not be what's poured tonight, so ask the staff what's moving.
Yura Gros Manseng/Petit Manseng, Jurançon, France '23 — ~$75
Jurançon is criminally underpriced relative to what it delivers — fresh, textured, and genuinely food-friendly. A 2023 vintage at entry-level bottle pricing on a list like this is the move if you want to drink smart.
Moulin Touchais Chenin Blanc, Coteaux du Layon, France '97
A 1997 Loire Chenin on a Venice restaurant list is not something you see every day. Coteaux du Layon ages like nothing else — honey, beeswax, and sharp acidity all at once. Most tables will walk right past it. Don't be most tables.
Vincent Couche Sensation Brut Nature, Champagne, France '02
A 2002 grower Champagne sounds exciting until you factor in the markup. At a restaurant running steep pricing across the board, a prestige-vintage bottle like this is going to cost you significantly more than its cellar value warrants. Save it for a dedicated wine bar where provenance and storage history are guaranteed.
Chartogne-Taillet Sainte Anne Extra Brut, Champagne N.V. + Charred Brussels Sprouts
The extra brut dosage keeps things lean and mineral, which cuts right through the char and bitterness of the sprouts without fighting the caramelized edges. It's the kind of pairing that sounds wrong and tastes completely right.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Gjelina's wine list punches well above its Venice-casual exterior — this is a serious, opinionated list built by people who actually drink. The pricing stings, but the selection earns it more often than not.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.