California and Italy Done Right in Lakewood
Lakewood · Lakewood · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 21, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The list at Sarita arrives and immediately signals that someone here actually thought about wine. It's not a sprawling tome, but 100-plus bottles with a clear California-and-Italy backbone tells you the kitchen and the cellar are speaking the same language. For Lakewood, Ohio, this is genuinely impressive.
The California side leans hard into the classics — Stag's Leap, Jordan, and Duckhorn represent the Napa Cabernet lineup, which is a smart play for a crowd that wants familiarity with quality backing. Sonoma gets a nod through Meiomi and La Crema on the Pinot Noir side, though both skew a bit commercial for our taste. Italy is where the list quietly earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, with Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino, and Chianti Classico all present — that's genuine depth, not just a token Pinot Grigio. The gaps are real though: no serious Spanish, German, or Southern Hemisphere representation, and the French section appears to be an afterthought if it exists at all.
Ten to sixteen options by the glass is a reasonable spread, and the $10–$18 range keeps things accessible without scraping the bottom of the barrel. We'd love to see more of the Italian selections make it onto the glass pour menu rather than staying bottle-only, but what's here is functional and honestly priced.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley — $60
Jordan consistently punches above its weight as an approachable, food-friendly Napa-adjacent Cab, and at a fair restaurant markup it's the sweet spot on this list — recognizable enough for the table skeptic, good enough for the person who actually cares.
Pinot Grigio from Friuli or Alto Adige
Most tables will sleep on this in favor of something bigger and bolder, but a well-sourced Friulian or Alto Adige Pinot Grigio is a completely different animal from the flabby grocery-store stuff — crisp, mineral, and genuinely interesting. It's also the sleeper pairing for the lighter dishes on the menu.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
Meiomi is a fine wine if you're buying it at Costco. On a restaurant list with Barolo in the wings, paying a markup on something this mass-market and sweet is hard to justify. Spend the extra few dollars and get the La Crema, or better yet, jump to the Italian side entirely.
Chianti Classico + Pepperoni and Sausage Pizza
High-acid Sangiovese and tomato-forward, fatty, cured-meat pizza is one of the most time-tested combinations in existence for a reason. The wine cuts the grease, the pizza makes the wine sing, and everyone at the table looks like they know what they're doing.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Sarita is a genuinely solid neighborhood restaurant wine list that earns its Wine Spectator credential, especially on the Italian side. It's not going to blow your mind, but it's absolutely worth ordering a bottle rather than defaulting to cocktails — and in Lakewood, that's saying something.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.