Lela

Lela sits inside the Sheraton Bloomington, so expectations for the wine list are tempered before you even sit down. What you get is a California-and-France-focused list that punches above the hotel bar average — Wine Spectator has been handing them an Award of Excellence since 2017, and it's not undeserved. The list isn't adventurous, but it's competent and clearly curated for guests who know what they like.

The 150-250 bottle list leans hard on California marquee names — Caymus, Silver Oak, Stag's Leap, Far Niente, Duckhorn — with France represented through reliable Burgundy houses like Louis Jadot and Joseph Drouhin. It's a list built for steak-and-Cab certainty rather than discovery, and that's fine; it does that job well. There's room for premium splurges with bottles climbing past $200 for top California and Burgundy selections, but don't come here hunting for natural wine or anything off the beaten path. The gaps are real — no meaningful Rhône, no Italy, no Southern Hemisphere to speak of — but within its lane, the list holds up.

With 12-20 options by the glass, there's enough range to drink well without committing to a bottle. The pours skew predictable — expect the Rombauer Chardonnay and something from Chateau Ste. Michelle to anchor the whites — but that's not the worst outcome when you're eating well. Rotation appears limited; this feels like a set-it-and-forget-it program rather than a list that changes with the seasons.