Sonoma's Backyard in a Glass
Plaza / Downtown · Healdsburg · Cocktail Bar with Small Plates · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 26, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Duke's Spirited Cocktails’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
Walking into Duke's, you expect the cocktail menu to be the whole show — and it mostly is. But the wine list is a quiet, nine-bottle snapshot of Sonoma County that holds its own without trying too hard. Prices stay between $13 and $18 a glass, which, for Healdsburg on a Friday night, borders on generous.
Nine labels, all Sonoma, all by the glass — Duke's isn't pretending to be a wine bar, and that honesty is actually refreshing. You get the full sweep: bubbles from Domaine Chandon, a Chalk Hill Chard, Matanzas Creek Sauv Blanc, a Dry Creek Zin, a Dry Creek Cab, and the Elevated Surface Pinot as the lone wildcard in the bunch. It's lean, but every pour has a reason to exist. The gap here is anything from small producers — no natural wine, no skin-contact, nothing that would surprise a Healdsburg local — but that's probably not the point.
Every bottle on the list is available by the glass, so what you see is what you get — no hidden bottle-only stash. At nine options spanning white, rosé, red, and bubbly, there's enough variety that no one at the table goes home without something drinkable. Rotation appears minimal; this feels like a set list rather than a living program.
Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc — $13
Matanzas Creek is a well-regarded Sonoma producer and $13 is the floor of this list — crisp, easy-drinking Sauv Blanc from a name that earns its reputation. Cheapest pour, not the cheapest wine.
Elevated Surface Laurent Pinot Noir
Most people ordering Pinot in a cocktail bar default to whatever sounds familiar. Elevated Surface isn't a household name, which means it gets skipped — but at $18 it's the most interesting red on the list and the only bottle here that rewards a little curiosity.
Domaine Chandon Brut
Chandon is fine, but it's also the most widely distributed sparkling wine in California wine country — you've had it, you'll have it again, and at $16 a glass you can do better for bubbles elsewhere in Healdsburg.
Dry Creek Zinfandel + Seasonal farm-to-glass small plates
Dry Creek Valley Zin has that ripe, bold fruit and pepper kick that stands up to anything savory coming off the kitchen's seasonal snack rotation. It's a Sonoma classic meeting Sonoma ingredients — hard to argue with that logic.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Duke's is a cocktail bar first, wine list second — and there's nothing wrong with that. If you're sitting on the plaza and want a solid local pour at a fair price before your actual dinner, this delivers exactly what it promises.
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Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
North Healdsburg · Healdsburg · Resort Bar
Scout Field Bar is what happens when a luxury resort actually invests in its wine program instead of phoning it in — the list is deep, the producers are legit, and the setting makes everything taste better. Pricing is undeniably steep, but if you're already at Montage, you knew what you were signing up for.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Center Street / Downtown · Healdsburg · Farm-to-table American, seasonal Californian small plates
BarnDiva is exactly what it looks like: a stylish, Sonoma-proud wine list that takes no risks and charges Healdsburg prices for the privilege. Send a friend here for a relaxed glass of something local — just tell them to skip the Cab.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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