THE WINE LIST

Rockenwagner lists 70 excellent wines at mostly fair prices--nine of them in half-bottles and another 10 by the glass. I’d stick to California wines, because the import list is a bit odd, and some producers’ names are not listed.

You can’t go wrong with a glass of 1990 Frog’s Leap Sauvignon Blanc, $4.25, or a bottle of 1989 Vichon Chevrignon, $16. Among the reds, try the 1989 Qupe Syrah, $19, with heartier dishes or, with lighter food, a half-bottle of 1989 Saintsbury Pinot Noir, $14.

The main drawback of the wine list is that nothing on it fits the nature of the place: casual. There’s nothing you can simply quaff with a sandwich for a modest price. No red table wine in a carafe for $12. No Louis Martini or Pedroncelli Zinfandel, no Charles Shaw Gamay Beaujolais or comparable wine that could be sold for well under $15.