Great Southern Café

The wine list at Great Southern Café feels like it was built to make guests comfortable, not to challenge them — and on the Gulf Coast, that's not necessarily a bad thing. California heavy-hitters dominate the page, and the $35–$120 bottle range keeps things accessible for a beach town crowd. It's the kind of list where you immediately know what you're getting, which is honestly more than a lot of coastal Florida restaurants can say.

This is a California-first list, full stop. You've got Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay, Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay, and Rombauer doing the white wine heavy lifting, while Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, and Duckhorn Merlot anchor the reds. Ferrari-Carano Fumé Blanc is a nice nod to something slightly off the beaten path. There's not much in the way of Old World presence or adventurous picks, but the producers they've chosen are consistent and well-matched to their seafood-focused menu. At 80–120 bottles with this level of curation, the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence they've held since 2013 feels well-earned — they're not trying to be something they're not.

With 12–18 pours available at $10–$16 a glass, the by-the-glass program gives you real options without sending you to the ATM. Expect the same California brands to show up here — this isn't a restaurant that hides its best bottles from glass drinkers. Rotation doesn't appear to be a major priority, but the core pours are solid and food-friendly.