Spain meets Sonoma, and nobody's mad about it
Center Street / Downtown · Healdsburg · Spanish tapas · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 26, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Bravas Bar de Tapas’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Bravas doesn't try to be everything — it tries to be the right thing, and mostly succeeds. You open it expecting a Sonoma wine bar greatest-hits package and instead find Txakolina, Fino Sherry, and Cava sitting next to local Pinot Noir like they've always been neighbors. It's a short list with a clear point of view, which is already rarer than it should be.
Roughly 25-40 labels split between the Spanish classics and Sonoma County locals, and the balance feels genuinely intentional rather than accidental. Spain holds the backbone — Rioja Crianza and Reserva for the red lovers, Cava for bubbles, and a Sherry program (Fino, Manzanilla) that most American restaurants wouldn't dare touch. The Sonoma side leans on rosé and Pinot Noir, which makes sense for the region but doesn't push any boundaries. The gap here is depth on the Spanish white and natural wine side — a couple of Albariños or a Galician Godello would round this out nicely.
Ten to fifteen pours by the glass is a generous spread for a tapas bar this size, and the range is the real story — you can go from a bone-dry Manzanilla to a local Sonoma rosé without leaving the by-the-glass list. Glass prices run $12-$18, which is honest money for Healdsburg. The Txakolina by the glass alone is worth the visit — low-alcohol, high-acid, slightly fizzy, and basically designed to be drunk alongside snacks.
Txakolina by the glass — $12–$15
A Basque white with a spritz, a snap of citrus, and the acid to cut through anything oily or salty on the tapas menu. You rarely see it poured by the glass anywhere, let alone at a fair price. Order two.
Fino/Manzanilla Sherry by the glass
Most tables walk right past this and go straight for the Rioja. That's a mistake. A chilled Fino or Manzanilla alongside the Patatas Bravas or Spanish Tortilla is one of the most classically correct food-wine moves you can make, and Bravas is one of the few spots in Sonoma County actually pouring it.
Local Sonoma Pinot Noir by the glass
You're in a Spanish tapas bar with a Sherry list and Txakolina on the menu. Ordering Sonoma Pinot Noir here is like going to a great ramen shop and asking for pasta. Nothing's wrong with it, but the list has more interesting moves to make — and the Pinot markups in this zip code are never shy.
Cava by the glass + Bacon-Wrapped Dates
The dates are rich, sweet, and fatty — Cava's crisp bubbles and dry finish cut right through all of that and reset your palate for the next one. It's the kind of pairing that makes you look like you know what you're doing even if you just got lucky.
The Bottom Line
Bravas is a Wild Card in the best way — a lively tapas spot in the heart of Healdsburg wine country that actually leans into Spanish wine instead of defaulting to Cabernet and Chardonnay. The list is short but earns its keep, and the Sherry and Txakolina pours alone justify a stop.
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