Editorial

On behalf of the entire Wally’s Team, we are honored to be recognized by Wine Spectator in this year’s 2019 #WSRestaurantAwards. These prestigious and selective awards celebrate achievements in outstanding wine programs world-wide and we’re proud to announce that both of our locations have been honored. Wally’s Santa Monica, open for less than a year, has won a ‘Best of Award of Excellence’ Award, and Wally’s Beverly Hills has won the Grand Award, representing the highest level of world wine service, for the third year in a row.

Wine Spectator's Restaurant Awards recognize restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers.

To qualify for an award, a wine list must present complete, accurate information, including vintages and appellations for all selections. Complete producer names and correct spellings are mandatory, and the overall presentation of the list is also considered. Lists that meet these requirements are judged for one of our three awards. - Wine Spectator

Grand Award, Wally's Beverly Hills 2017, 2018, 2019

100 winners total
Our highest award, given to restaurants that show an uncompromising, passionate devotion to the quality of their wine programs. These wine lists typically feature 1,000 or more selections, and deliver serious breadth of top producers, outstanding depth in mature vintages, a selection of large-format bottles, excellent harmony with the menu, and superior presentation. These restaurants offer the highest level of wine service. - Wine Spectator

Best of Award of Excellence, Wally's Santa Monica 2019

1,244 winners total
These wine lists display excellent breadth across multiple winegrowing regions and/or significant vertical depth of top producers, along with superior presentation. Typically offering 350 or more selections, these restaurants are destinations for serious wine lovers, showing a deep commitment to wine, both in the cellar and through their service team. - Wine Spectator

Thank you Wine Spectator! Our Team is celebrating this tremendous achievement!

Discover more about the Restaurant Awards here.

Let's have a toast to July 4th! Planning to attend a bash by the beach or firing up the grill yourself; but aren't sure what drinks to pair with this year's fireworks? Whether you prefer red wine, white wine, champagne, or cocktails we've got you covered on everything we'd pick to serve during your Independence Day Celebration!

Virginia Black American Whiskey

Wally's Price: $40.00

Nothing says the 4th of July like superb classic American Whiskey. Virginia Black is a collaboration between Brent Hocking, founder and creator of the original Deleón Tequila: an award-winning artist, songwriter, rapper, and actor, Drake. A personally selected collection of two, three, and four-year old bourbons finished with a decadent profile.

NV Gosset Brut Excellence

Wally's Price: $50.00

For nearly three centuries the house of Gosset has been perfecting the art of making wine in France's Champagne region. Their Brut Excellence over delivers for its entry-level price. Dry and racy on the palate, the Excellence is accented by inviting aromas of candied lemon peel, sliced almonds and freshly baked bread. A blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier from Premier and Grand Cru classified vineyards.

Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose Champagne

Wally's Price: $85.00

Everything you would want in a glass of pink Champagne, Billecart-Salmon's Brut Rose offers beautiful notes of wild strawberry and cherry biscotti to accompany its sleek, velvety texture. Make no mistake, these are ultra fine bubbles that slide gently across the palate. The perfect summer-time sparkler for sipping by the pool or to cool-off by the grill.

2017 Smith & Sheth CRU Wairau Sauvignon Blanc

Wally's Price: $30.00

A more zesty style of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, the Cru by Smith & Sheth has got it all... freshly sliced limes, crunchy pineapple, hop flowers and fresh herbs. What a pairing with fresh seafood, summer salads and grilled vegetables. So crisp and refreshing, it is guaranteed to be a hit with anyone who twists the cap.

2015 Muller-Catoir Burgergarten Muskateller Trocken

Wally's Price: $33.00

Here is something new to bring to the table! Dry German Muscat. The aromas are sensational... fruit cocktail, honeysuckle, orange blossom, papaya, mandarin oranges. It just goes on and on. Then on the palate the wine comes across as dry, fresh and crystal clear. Each sip more delicious than the last. Perfect on its own or alongside ceviche or grilled shrimp. Your friends will be snapping pictures of the label to recreate the experience!

2016 Vasse Felix 'Filius' Chardonnay, Margaret River

Wally's Price: $22.00

Western Australia has been hitting home runs with their elegant, softly textured Chardonnays that offer lovely fruit flavors, freshness and a hint of creaminess as well. Vasse Felix offers one of the best examples for a terrific value. The Filius is the complete package with just a hint of oak and vanilla spice accenting what is otherwise a very focused, crisp Chardonnay. This style will please fans of California and French Chardonnay alike.

2014 Canalicchio Di Sopra Brunello Di Montalcino

Wally's Price: $89.00

Fans of Tuscany's most famous wine, Brunello di Montalcino, have to try the 2014 Canalicchio di Sopra. A wonderful combination of power and poise, this Brunello would find a perfect home beside anything off the grill: ribeye steaks, lamb chops, even cheeseburgers. The wine is remarkably sleek and evocative for a young Sangiovese. It has the stuffing to age but is also singing at the moment.

2015 Mordoree Chateauneuf Du Pape Reine Des Bois

Wally's Price: $100.00

From the legendary 2015 vintage, Domaine de la Mordoree's top wine is the Reine des Bois. This Grenache-based blend is one complex sipper. From ripe fruit notes of raspberry jam and fig paste, to cinnamon, clove, licorice and black pepper, this full-bodied wine offers it all. Grenache wines from the Southern Rhone Valley pair well with a wide array of foods, but chief among them is grilled meats basted in barbecue sauce. Try this gem of a wine with baby back ribs for an unforgettable experience.

2012 Chateau Lynch Bages

Wally's Price: $125.00

One of Bordeaux's most respected, collected and cherished wines, Chateau Lynch-Bages crafts a divine wine vintage after vintage. Here we feature the 2012 for its excellent value and ability to be drank young. While you let your 2010 and 2014 develop in the cellar, enjoy this fresh, perfumed expression of a Pauillac legend. Roughly 70% Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot in supporting roles.

2016 Lewis Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Wally's Price: $99.00

The king of California wines, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, might just be the ideal wine to celebrate the 4th of July. For many vintages in a row, Lewis Cellars has been producing one of the valley's most impressive Cabernet wines. Rich and concentrated, with oodles of dark fruit framed by spicy, cedary oak, the wines are as good as they are hard to come by. There are no shortage of Lewis fans especially with all the accolades the winery has garnered in wine publications. But worry not, Wally's has you covered!

The first day of Summer is HERE! Welcome to the season of garden parties, bridal showers, backyard barbecues, and the delicious food and drink that accompany these gatherings. Whether you're hosting a party or attending, give the grillmaster some competition and wow your friends by following our guide to building the ultimate crowd-pleasing gourmet appetizer, the infamous Charcuterie Board. Watch as Wally's Specialty Foods Director, Kurt Gurdal, walks you through how we build our renowned deluxe Boards here at Wally's - and shares some tips about how you can shop for, and build your own at home. The three major components to a perfect board are cured meats, accoutrements, and bread, but the variety in each category is endless and completely up to you! Shop our favorite linked products list below to get you started! Have fun, enjoy, and cheers to Summer!

5J Jamon Iberico de Bellota

Wally's Price: $171.00

Acorn-fed 100% ibérico ham par excellence, in original format and brought to you directly from our centuries-old curing cellars. Every ham is unique and lives up to the highest expectations of flavour, texture and aroma to seduce each of your senses from the very first bite. An authentic Cinco Jotas ham, well carved, is like a work of sculpted art, and astonishes ham lovers everywhere with the unique nuances of the most exclusive ham in the world. - Producer Notes

Charlito's Cocina Trufa Seca 5 Oz

Wally's Price: $16.99

This deliciously sensual incarnation of cured goodness will surely arouse your senses. Made with pasture raised, heritage breed pork and Seasoned with black truffles and mineral rich sea salt, this is a striking example of how minimal ingredients can produce a world unto itself of complexity. Dry-Cured for up to two months. Not heat treated or smoked. Enjoy with leisure! - Producer Notes

Fermin Iberico Chorizo Chub

Wally's Price: $14.99

Enjoy the Jewel of Spanish Gastronomy! Recognized as one of the 4 aces of global gastronomy along with caviar, foie-gras and truffles, FERMIN Iberico Acorn-Fed Ham is an authentic treasure from Spain. Also known as the “Kobe beef of pork” because of its intense marbling, flavors and uniqueness, the FERMIN Iberico ham is the first authentic Iberico to enter the US market. Cured for a minimum of 36 months, this Iberico ham…melts in your mouth. - Producer Notes

North Country Hoguera

Wally's Price: $17.00

Best enjoyed on a baguette or added to a favorite Spanish recipe, our Sobrassada hits your tongue with a sultry surprise and fiery finish. Mixed with Hot Paprika, Chipotle and Cayenne, all from North Market Spices(Columbus, Ohio). We use 100% Berkshire pork for all of our chorizo. - Producer Notes

Fabrique Delices Truffle Mousse

Wally's Price: $9.99

Fabrique Délices offers the best and the most versatile line of Charcuterie in the United States. The Fabrique Delices Truffle Mousse is extremely decadent - containing Creamy chicken livers, Truffles and Cèpes (Porcini) marinated in Sherry wine. It's best paired on a traditional French Baguette and a glass of Merlot, Tawny Port, or Madeira Wine. - Producer Notes

Salame Di Manzo Wagyu Beef

Wally's Price: $48.00

Fabrique Délices offers the best and the most versatile line of Charcuterie in the United States. The Fabrique Delices Truffle Mousse is extremely decadent - containing Creamy chicken livers, Truffles and Cèpes (Porcini) marinated in Sherry wine. It's best paired on a traditional French Baguette and a glass of Merlot, Tawny Port, or Madeira Wine. - Producer Notes

Pio Tosini 20mo Prosciutto Di Parma

Wally's Price: $38.00

This sweet ham, cured in the town of Langhirano, bears the honorable mark of the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma signifying its exceptional quality and rigorous curing processes. In the traditional process, hams are cured for 400 days. At Pio Tosini, a curing time of over 500 days produces slow and even salt penetration, assuring the sweetest hams of uniform texture. - Producer Notes

Big Chet's Salami Red Table Meats

Wally's Price: $40.00

Styled after an Italian Finnochiona salame, Chet's is a creation of the charcuterie geniuses at Red Table Meat Co. in Minneapolis. This spicy red salami is crafted out of premium pork meat blended with spicy fennel, seasoned with spicy red pepper flakes, and a touch of white wine, all encased in a beef middle casing. The succulent pieces of buttery fat are silky on the tongue, tempering off the heat of the salame. - Producer Notes

Angels Savory Gourmet Duck Salami

Wally's Price: $38.00

Made with 100% Duck, French-style with a rich flavor and seasoned with red wine & black peppercorn. Dry-cured and fermented, aged for 2 months. Certified Cage-Free, Antibiotic Free, Hormone Free. For us to create high-grade products, we start with the finest quality ingredients directly from the source. Our artisanal products are made with the finest natural meats available and enriched with nuances of European and Mediterranean flair. - Producer Notes

I began my career in the wine business at a very young...

Universally recognized for the quality of its bold yet elegant wines, today Penfolds remains the crown jewel of Australian wine. From the delicious, dark-fruited Bin 28 Shiraz all the way up to the legendary, immortal Grange, the wines have never been better! Rich, fruit-forward and perfectly structured, these impeccably crafted reds drink beautifully when released but are also built to last. At Penfolds, the degree of winemaking skill is matched only by the quality of the vineyards from which they source their fruit. These vineyards are scattered throughout Southern Australia’s most legendary regions… Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, the Adelaide Hills. By picking at the precise moment of ripeness, Penfolds produces wines that walk the fine line between power and finesse. Wally’s is pleased to offer a wide range of bottlings and vintages from this gold-standard producer.

2015 Penfolds RWT Barossa Shiraz

95+ points, Wine Advocate

Wally's Price: $125

Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 RWT Shiraz leaps from the glass with expressive blackberries, black raspberries and wild blueberry notes plus underlying Indian spices, Sichuan pepper, forest floor and fertile loam notes with a waft of charcuterie. Full-bodied, rich and seductive in the mouth, it coats the palate with vibrant black berry and spicy layers, framed by firm, rounded tannins and finishing on a lingering earthy note. One for the long haul!

RWT stands for “Red Winemaking Trials” and was a departure for Penfolds’ portfolio back when it was first introduced with the 1997 vintage. Aged in French oak (traditionally they use American oak) and hailing from a single region, the Barossa Valley, the wine represents an alternative expression to South Australian Shiraz. This is focused and muscular with smooth, cedary oak framing a host of dark berry flavors, violets, tamarind, and root beer. Steak wine at its finest, and sure to please fans of full-bodied, massively endowed reds. Do not miss!

– Robert Vardanian, Australian Wine Buyer

2016 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz

91 points, Wine Advocate

Wally's Price: $30

“The full-bodied 2016 Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz is a blend of fruit from Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Padthaway, Upper Adelaide and Wrattonbully. It's a warm-climate, rich, plush Shiraz, with a velvety mouthfeel and lingering savory notes on the finish.” – Wine Advocate

Penfolds’ Bin 28 Shiraz is a fan favorite here at Wally’s and throughout the world. Classic Barossa Valley Shiraz with rich flavors, juicy freshness and a long, lingering finish. For the price, it is one of the best values coming out of the country!

– Robert Vardanian, Australian Wine Buyer

2014 Penfolds St Henri Shiraz

94 points, Wine Advocate

Wally's Price: $90

This bottle was opened in front of me and served without decanting. Containing 4%Cabernet Sauvignon and with a deep garnet-purple color, the 2014 Shiraz St Henri has a relatively shy nose of black plums, black cherries and mulberries with nuances of underbrush, fruit cake and damp soil. The full-bodied palate has satisfying richness, with firm, rounded tannins supporting the earthy fruit layers, finishing with good depth and persistence.

St. Henri is a special expression of Shiraz in that the wine is aged in 50-year-old barrels! Unique in the wine world, barrels this old impart very little oak flavor. Instead they help emphasize the wine’s beautiful fruit and floral characteristics. The 2014 St. Henri is stunning with notes of pressed flowers, new leather, and soy sauce complementing the spicy, brambly fruit. This is certainly, the most charming and restrained wine in the portfolio. Excellent!

– Robert Vardanian, Australian Wine Buyer

2009 Penfolds Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon

91 points, Wine Advocate

Wally's Price: $350

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2009 Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon presents an intensely minty nose with undertones of ripe cassis, eucalyptus, cedar and a touch of herbs. Ripe and expressive in the mouth it has bright acid and medium levels of very fine tannins, it finishes concentrated and long. Drink it from 2014 to 2024+.

2016 Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon

98 points, Wine Advocate

Wally's Price: $500

Aged in American oak, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 707 stands out for its bold aromas of vanilla, tobacco, and cassis. This year, it's close to 40% each from Coonawarra and McLaren Vale, with smaller proportions from Barossa Valley and the Adelaide Hills. It's full-bodied and rich, with a velvety mouthfeel, great intensity and super length. Yes, it's embryonic, but it's not unapproachable, much like any other high-quality New World Cabernet these days, with the ability to age for two decades or more.

Penfolds Great Grandfather Tawny Port

96 points, Wine Advocate

Wally's Price: $800

The 30 year old Penfolds Great Grandfather Rare Tawny is pale tawny in color and has a more profound nose than the Grandfather or Father labels of this style. The nose presents some earthy notes that wrap a complex spiciness around a core of Christmas cake, dried fruits, milk chocolate and incense. It’s a huge wine in the mouth - very serious stuff - with tons of layers and racy acid line to carry the flavor through the very long finish that also has a pleasant minerality.

2014 Penfolds Grange

98 points, Wine Advocate

Wally's Price: $850

Rich, concentrated and intense, the 2014 Grange delivers exactly what we've come to expect from this Penfolds icon wine. It's full-bodied, velvety in feel and loaded with plummy fruit, framed in vanilla and cedar. Dense, powerfu, and tannic, it should prove to be long lived, even by Grange standards. Gago doesn't rate the vintage overall that highly, but he says the selection this year for Grange was a bit more stringent and that production levels were just average. There are still over 1,000 cases for the United States.

2012 Penfolds Grange

99 points, Wine Advocate

Wally's Price: $750

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2012 Grange sports an earthy/meaty nose with notes of tree bark, dusty earth, underbrush and chargrill over a core of dried mulberries and Christmas cake, plus hints of pepper and baking spices. Rich, medium to full-bodied and seductive, it has spicy layers and a long meaty/savory finish.

1971 Penfolds Grange

96 points, Wine Advocate

Wally's Price: $1,300

Medium brick colored, the 1971 Grange opens with touches of aldehyde / bottle-stink to begin over a core of fruit cake, leather, potpourri, game, and sandalwood. With an elegant light to medium-body, the palate blossoms into incredible spice box, anise, and mincemeat notes - wonderful multi-layered flavors –supported by a good backbone of remaining fine-grained tannins and lively acid. It’s a classic Grange in terms of construction, though a little atypical considering its pretty rather than powerful nature.

Meet Kurt Gurdal!