Pacifica Seafood Restaurant
El Paseo's Dependable Catch for California Pours
El Paseo · Palm Desert · American, Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 10, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Pacifica reads like a greatest hits of California with a few French cameos — you know every name on this list, and that's kind of the point. White tablecloths, dim lighting, polished seafood room: the list matches the room, not the other way around. Wine Spectator has been handing them an Award of Excellence since 2018, and the list earns that credential without really pushing beyond it.
Selection Deep Dive
At 100-150 bottles, the list is plenty deep for a seafood destination in the desert, leaning hard on California with some Washington and Louis Jadot holding down the French corner. You'll find the Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay and Jordan Chardonnay doing the heavy lifting alongside crowd favorites like Rombauer and Duckhorn Merlot — reliable names that practically sell themselves. The Stag's Leap Artemis Cab shows up for the steak-ordering table that wandered into a seafood restaurant, which is fair. What you won't find is much to surprise you: no esoteric producers, no natural wine detour, no real adventure beyond the recognizable label wall.
By the Glass
Twelve to eighteen options by the glass is a solid showing for a restaurant this size, with prices running $10–$16 — reasonable by El Paseo standards where restaurants routinely charge more for less. The Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling appearing in the pour lineup is a smart call for a seafood-forward menu. We'd like to see the glass list rotate more aggressively, but what's there gets the job done.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Chardonnay 2021 — $55
It's the most food-friendly bottle on the list at the most accessible price point. Washington Chardonnay with enough acidity to actually cut through a bowl of cioppino — and at $55 it's not trying to impress anyone, it's just doing its job well.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Everyone at this table is ordering Chardonnay or Cab, and nobody is touching the Riesling — which is a mistake. Riesling and fresh seafood is one of the great underrated restaurant moves, and this one brings enough brightness to make the lobster tail sing.
Rombauer Chardonnay 2022
At $95 a bottle you're paying serious money for a wine that retails around $35-40. Rombauer is delicious and everyone knows it, which is exactly why restaurants charge what they do for it. Order the Jordan or the Sonoma-Cutrer instead and keep the extra money.
Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay + Seared Scallops
Russian River Chardonnay has the stone fruit richness to match the caramelized crust on the scallops without bulldozing the delicate sweetness underneath. It's a classic for a reason.
Tuesday — Half-price wine bottles on Tuesdays — the single best reason to rearrange your week.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Pacifica is exactly what it needs to be for El Paseo: polished, reliable, and stocked with wines people actually want to drink with their seafood. The markups sting a bit, but Tuesday's half-price wine night turns this from a shrug into a genuine recommendation.
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