Packing House Wines
California's Inland Empire Hides a Serious Cellar
Claremont Village · Claremont · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 5, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walk into a historic packing house building in Claremont Village and the wine list hits you like a quiet brag — 300 to 500 selections, anchored in California, Burgundy, and Bordeaux, with enough depth to make you want to cancel your plans and stay all night. This is not a restaurant that added wine as an afterthought. Wine Spectator has been handing them a Best of Award of Excellence since 2020, and flipping through the list, it's not hard to see why.
Selection Deep Dive
The California spine is legitimate — Kosta Browne, Flowers, Ridge Monte Bello, Joseph Phelps Insignia, Chateau Montelena, and Caymus all make appearances, covering Pinot, Cab, and Chardonnay with serious intent. The Burgundy section earns its keep too: Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet and Louis Jadot anchor the white side, while Domaine Drouhin Oregon bridges the Old and New World divide in a smart way. Bordeaux rounds out the trio, giving the list a confident, classical backbone without feeling like a museum. If there's a gap, it's in adventurous Southern Hemisphere or natural wine options — this list plays in an established lane and plays it very well.
By the Glass
Twenty to thirty-five by-the-glass options is a strong program by any measure — most restaurants with lists this deep treat pours as an afterthought, but not here. Prices run $12 to $25 a glass, which is reasonable for the quality tier on offer. We'd love more rotation transparency, but the breadth means you can actually build a meal around glass pours without getting stuck drinking the same Cab all night.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir — $45–$65 (bottle estimate from list range)
Drouhin Oregon is serious Pinot — Veronique Drouhin-Boss trained in Beaune and farms the Dundee Hills with the same precision as the family's Burgundy holdings. At the lower end of this list's bottle pricing, it drinks well above its weight and is often overlooked next to the flashier California names.
Chateau Montelena Chardonnay
Everyone knows the 1973 Judgment of Paris story, but that reputation means diners often assume it's overpriced nostalgia. It's not — Montelena's current Chardonnay is restrained, mineral-driven, and nothing like the buttery California stereotype. Most tables walk right past it for something more recognizable. Don't.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is fine wine, but it's also one of the most widely distributed, aggressively marketed Cabs in the country — you're paying a premium here for a bottle that's sitting on shelves at every wine shop in a 10-mile radius. The markup rarely makes sense when Ridge Monte Bello and Insignia are on the same list and actually earn their price.
Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet + Dry-aged ribeye steak
Ridge Monte Bello is structured, earthy, and built for the long haul — exactly what you want against the minerality and fat of a properly dry-aged ribeye. The Santa Cruz Mountains fruit isn't trying to be Napa, which means it cuts through the richness rather than competing with it.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Packing House Wines is the kind of place that makes you wonder why you've been driving past Claremont on the 10 without stopping. Sal Medina and a list this considered make it worth the detour — send your friends here.
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