MAASS by Ryan Ratino
Burgundy Meets Wagyu on the Beach
Fort Lauderdale Beach · Fort Lauderdale · French, Japanese · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Opening the wine list at MAASS feels like someone handed you a Rolodex of the world's most serious producers and said, go ahead. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Château Margaux, Sine Qua Non — this is not a beach restaurant wine list, this is a statement. Fort Lauderdale didn't know it needed this, but here we are.
Selection Deep Dive
The list runs 350-500 bottles deep with a clear double focus: Burgundy and California, and both columns are stacked. On the French side you've got Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet, Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin, and the kind of DRC presence that makes you do a double-take at a zip code that's better known for spring break. California pulls equal weight with Kosta Browne Pinot Noir, Aubert Chardonnay, Opus One, and Sine Qua Non — the cult stuff that's genuinely hard to find on a list without a reservation deposit. Gaps are few; this is a program that was built with intention, not assembled from a distributor catalog. The Franco-Japanese cuisine gives the list a natural home for both Burgundy's elegance and California's weight.
By the Glass
Sixteen to twenty-four pours by the glass is a serious commitment for a restaurant of this size, and the pricing — $15 to $45 a glass — reflects the quality tier they're working in. At the top end you're getting access to wines that rarely show up by the pour anywhere, which is either thrilling or a fast way to blow your dinner budget before the foie gras arrives. Rotation details weren't confirmed, but with sommeliers Todd Nichols and Tobias Froehlich running the program, we'd expect the glass list to get some attention.
Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin — $60
Entry point into a legitimate Burgundy producer at a price that doesn't require a second mortgage. Faiveley's Gevrey is structured and serious, and next to the DRC on the same list it almost looks like a bargain — which, for Fort Lauderdale, it kind of is.
Aubert Chardonnay
Most tables at MAASS are scanning for Burgundy or going straight for the DRC flex, so Aubert gets overlooked. That's a mistake. This is one of the most precise California Chardonnays made, and it holds its own next to anything from the Côte de Beaune on this list — often at a friendlier price point than the French side.
Opus One
Opus One is a trophy bottle that's been on every upscale American restaurant list for thirty years — and the markup here prices it accordingly. It's a fine wine, but at MAASS you're surrounded by more interesting options at similar or lower prices. Unless you're here to impress someone who recognizes the label from a hotel minibar menu, your money works harder elsewhere on this list.
Kosta Browne Pinot Noir + Dry-aged duck
Kosta Browne's richness and dark fruit profile is exactly what dry-aged duck wants — enough body to match the intensity of the meat, enough acid to cut through the fat. It's a California-French handshake that makes the Franco-Japanese concept at MAASS feel like it was designed around this exact combination.
🔥 The Bottom Line
MAASS is the real thing — a sommelier-driven program with genuine depth, proper glassware, and staff that actually knows what's in the cellar. Markups run steep at the top end, but this is a Best of Award of Excellence list for a reason, and it earns every bit of the credential.
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