Franco-Californian fire hiding in Bernal Heights
Bernal Heights · San Francisco · American, Japanese · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 16, 2026
RagingWine reviewed 3rd Cousin’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
You're on Cortland Ave in Bernal Heights — not exactly where you expect to find Arnoux-Lachaux and Ridge Monte Bello on the same list. But here we are, and the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence hanging over this place is quietly earned. The list is compact enough to read without a flashlight but edited with real conviction.
The 120-180 bottle list runs a tight Franco-Californian axis and makes no apologies for it. On the French side, you've got Domaine Weinbach covering Alsace with authority, Domaine Dujac in Morey-St-Denis, and Arnoux-Lachaux for anyone who wants to drop serious money on Burgundy. California holds its own with Kistler Chardonnay, Bedrock Wine Co. pulling Sonoma's old-vine thread, and Ridge Monte Bello representing the serious end of the Cabernet conversation. There are gaps — this isn't a globe-trotting list — but every bottle feels like someone actually thought about it rather than copy-pasting from a distributor catalog.
Twelve to eighteen pours by the glass at $12–$22 is a solid range for a neighborhood spot operating at this level. The glass program appears to track the bottle list's Franco-Californian identity, which means you're not choosing between Malbec and Pinot Grigio — you're choosing between things worth drinking. Rotation details are limited, but with sommelier talent like Marian Bamba and Sarah Ruben on staff, expect the list to stay relevant.
Bedrock Wine Co. Sonoma — $45–$65
Bedrock's old-vine Sonoma bottlings consistently punch well above their price point, and at the low end of the bottle range here, you're getting serious California history in a glass without the Napa markup.
Domaine Weinbach Alsace
Most people at an American-Japanese spot are scanning for Burgundy or Cali Cab and walk right past Weinbach. That's a mistake. Alsace Riesling or Pinot Gris from this producer has the texture and aromatic range to handle the whole menu from crudo to charcuterie.
Arnoux-Lachaux Burgundy
The wine is extraordinary — no argument there. But Arnoux-Lachaux commands serious secondary-market money, and unless the markup here is genuinely restrained, you're probably better saving this producer for a restaurant with a deeper Burgundy context around it.
Domaine Dujac Morey-St-Denis + Roasted Chicken
Dujac's Morey-St-Denis has enough red fruit and earthy lift to complement a properly roasted bird without competing with it. It's the kind of pairing that makes you put your phone down.
The Bottom Line
3rd Cousin is the Wild Card in full effect — a neighborhood restaurant on a quiet San Francisco street that has quietly built a Franco-Californian list serious enough to earn national recognition. Send your wine-curious friends here and watch them figure out this city has more going on than Divisadero.
Union Square · San Francisco · American
The Rotunda is a lunch experience first and a wine destination a distant second — the list is safe, the markup is real, and you're largely paying for the address and the atmosphere. Come for the crab salad and the occasion, order something bubbly, and don't go in expecting a serious wine program.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
San Francisco · San Francisco · Wine bar & bottle shop
Bodega SF is what happens when someone actually gives a damn about the list instead of just checking a box. Twenty-six bottles, almost all pourable by the glass, priced fairly, and built around grapes most wine bars wouldn't dare touch — send your adventurous friends here and tell them to skip the safe picks.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
San Francisco · San Francisco · Wine bar
Fig & Thistle is for people who trust a short menu built by someone with a point of view — thirteen bottles, all pouring, all worth talking about. If you need a fallback Cab or a recognizable label to feel safe, this isn't your spot. If you don't, this absolutely is.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
San Francisco · San Francisco · Steakhouse
STK San Francisco has the bones of a wine program and the ambition of a hotel minibar. With only three by-the-glass pours, a list built entirely around safe brand names, and steep markups baked into the concept, this is a place to order a cocktail or splurge on a specific bottle you already know you want.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Francisco · Wine Tavern
Big Finish is doing something genuinely different — an all-glass list built around obscure varietals, serious fortified wine, and pricing that doesn't punish curiosity. Send anyone here who wants to drink something they've never tried before and walk away feeling like they learned something.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mission District · San Francisco · Natural Wine Bar
Bar Part Time is the rare wine bar that pulls off genuinely fun without dumbing down the wine program — Tuesday's $10-off-bottles deal makes it even harder to say no. Send your friend who thinks they don't like natural wine; they'll leave converted.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Ossining · Ossining · American, Japanese
3 Westerly won't challenge your wine assumptions, but it'll take care of you — and Wednesday half-price wine night is genuinely one of the better deals in Westchester. Send a friend if they want a reliable, crowd-pleasing bottle with a waterfront view; tell them to skip the Margaux.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Weehawken · Weehawken · American, Japanese
Drift is a reliable California wine list bolted onto a genuinely great view — it'll satisfy most tables without challenging anyone. Send a friend if they want a safe, well-executed bottle with their steak and a killer skyline; just don't send them expecting to discover something new.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Jersey City · Jersey City · American, Japanese
Hudson & Co is a well-run California list with a credentialed sommelier, a knockout view, and enough serious bottles to make dinner feel like an occasion. The markups and the lack of range outside Napa and Sonoma keep it from being a destination wine experience, but if you love California reds and want to drink well in Jersey City with the skyline as your backdrop, this works.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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