Wally's
3,500 Bottles Deep and Counting
Santa Monica · Santa Monica · Californian, French · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Wally's lands like a small novel — 3,500-plus selections spanning the serious benchmarks of California, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, and beyond. This isn't a restaurant that happens to have wine; it's a wine institution that happens to serve exceptional food. The Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator (held since 2019) isn't a surprise here — it's confirmation of what the list announces on its own.
Selection Deep Dive
California is the anchor and rightfully so — Screaming Eagle, Harlan Estate, Sine Qua Non, and Kistler represent the state's collector-tier ceiling, while the depth presumably extends well below those trophy bottles into serious mid-range options. France holds its own convincingly: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Château Pétrus for those keeping score at home, Domaine Leflaive and Krug for the Burgundy and Champagne devotees who actually drink their wines. Tuscany rounds out the heavy hitters with Sassicaia anchoring an Italian section that Wine Spectator flags as a genuine strength. The gaps, if any, are hard to spot — this list was built by people who genuinely care.
By the Glass
Forty to sixty by-the-glass options is extraordinary for a list this size — most restaurants with a cellar like this would pour three whites and four reds and call it a day. With a full sommelier team including Elias Cuevas, Aaron Biderman, and Joshua Schauder, the glass program appears actively managed rather than left to gather dust. Ask what's open — at this level, a knowledgeable pour recommendation can unlock something genuinely special without committing to a full bottle.
Kistler Chardonnay — null
In a list dominated by four-figure collectibles, Kistler represents where the value conversation gets interesting — world-class California Chardonnay from a producer with serious credibility, without the Screaming Eagle tax. It's the move if you want to drink something remarkable without re-financing anything.
Domaine Leflaive
Everyone at the next table is ordering the DRC or the Harlan and barely glancing at the white Burgundy section. Domaine Leflaive is one of the greatest Chardonnay producers on the planet — precise, mineral, age-worthy — and it tends to get overlooked when the big red names are calling. Don't sleep on it.
Opus One
Opus One is a perfectly fine wine, but it's also the most recognizable name on any list like this, which means the markup reflects its fame more than its quality. At Wally's price tier, that premium stings. The same dollars get you something far more interesting if you ask the sommelier instead of defaulting to the familiar label.
Krug Champagne + Wagyu beef tartare
Krug's richness and toasty complexity hold up against the fat and umami of wagyu tartare in a way that lighter Champagnes simply can't. The acidity cuts clean, the bubbles lift every bite, and you feel appropriately smug about the whole situation.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Wally's is the kind of place you bring someone when you want to make a serious impression — the list is deep, the staff knows it cold, and Santa Monica has never had a better reason to order a second bottle. Yes, send your friends here for wine.
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