Splashes
Ocean Views, Serious Bottles, No Apologies
Laguna Beach · Laguna Beach · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You open the list at Splashes and the Pacific is right there through the window — and honestly, the wine list competes for your attention. Three hundred to five hundred selections, a dedicated sommelier in Joe Baumgardner, and a Best of Award of Excellence that's been renewed since 2018. This is not a resort restaurant coasting on location.
Selection Deep Dive
California and France anchor the list, and they do it properly — not just the obvious names but genuinely great producers. Aubert and Kistler represent Chardonnay at its most serious California expression, while Ridge Monte Bello and Dominus Estate signal that whoever built this list understands that Cabernet is more than a brand exercise. The French side leans on Burgundy via Louis Jadot and classic Napa-France crossovers, which suits the oceanfront-California-dreaming vibe perfectly. The gap worth noting: if you're hunting natural wine or anything outside the Franco-Californian axis, you're in the wrong restaurant.
By the Glass
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a serious commitment for a resort property, with glasses running $14–$22. That range suggests they're not just pouring house plonk — there's real wine in those stems. We'd push Joe or his team on what's rotating before you default to the first thing on the list.
Louis Jadot Burgundy — $14–$22/glass
Burgundy by the glass at a resort property is rare and worth grabbing. Jadot is a reliable house with genuine terroir expression — ordering this beats a generic California Pinot Noir at twice the price.
Ridge Monte Bello
Most tables at Splashes are ordering Opus One or Caymus because those names land easily. Monte Bello is the nerd's choice — a Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet blend with more complexity and age-worthiness than its neighbors on the list, and it doesn't come with the same prestige tax.
Caymus Vineyards Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus Special Selection is a fine wine, but it's also everywhere, and at a resort markup it'll cost you more than it should for something you could find at your local wine shop. With Ridge Monte Bello and Dominus on the same list, there's no reason to default here.
Kistler Chardonnay + Pacific catch of the day
Kistler's Chardonnay is rich and precise without going flabby — it matches whatever pristine Pacific fish lands on your plate without drowning it. Ocean view, fresh catch, serious Chardonnay. That's the move.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Splashes earns its Best of Award of Excellence badge without leaning on the trophy — the list is real, the sommelier knows it, and the setting makes every pour feel earned. Yes, you're paying resort prices, but the depth and curation here justify the trip down PCH.
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