Tiny List, Big Swings, Zero Apologies
San Francisco · Wine bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 28, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Fig & Thistle’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
Thirteen bottles, all by the glass — that's the entire list, and somehow it works. Fig & Thistle isn't trying to overwhelm you with options; it's betting that every single pour deserves your attention. That confidence either reads as refreshing or nerve-wracking depending on how much you like having choices, but one look at the producers and it's clear this wasn't assembled on autopilot.
The list reads like someone actually enjoys wine and isn't afraid to argue about it. You've got a pét-nat from Austrian natural wine luminary Johannes Zillinger, a Turkish field blend from Selendi that mixes Chardonnay, Viognier, and the indigenous Narince grape, and a Haarmeyer Nebbiolo from the Sacramento Delta that has no business being this interesting. The sparkling category alone — a Carboniste Extra Brut Rosé and Zillinger's ancestral method — signals that whoever built this list thinks bubbles deserve more than a token slot. If there's a gap, it's depth: one wine per style means if you don't vibe with the Cab Franc, there's no backup plan.
Everything is by the glass, which is either the whole point or the only trick depending on your mood. Prices run $12 to $20, which for San Francisco and for this caliber of producer is genuinely fair — the Wine Navigator Late Harvest Tokaji at $12 might be the best pour-per-dollar in the room. No rotating program we can verify, so what you see is what you get until the list changes.
Selendi Bordeaux Blend 2020 — $45
The cheapest bottle on the list happens to be from one of Turkey's most interesting small producers. A Bordeaux-style blend from the Aegean coast for $45 feels like the list is doing you a favor — this would cost more anywhere that imported it with fanfare.
Toshokan Yount Mill Vineyard Pinot Meunier 2021
Pinot Meunier as a solo varietal is still a tough sell for most people who only know it as Champagne filler. Toshokan's Napa Valley take is the kind of thing you'd never order without a nudge — lighter than Pinot Noir, strawberry-forward, a little savory. Order it. You'll want another glass.
Haarmeyer Heringer Estates Nebbiolo 2022
At $77 it's the most expensive bottle on a compact list, and Nebbiolo from California's Sacramento Delta is still a 'we'll see' proposition for most drinkers. Haarmeyer does solid work, but $77 is a lot of trust to extend on a young, unconventional red when the Tessier Cab Franc or the Chateau de Lascaux are sitting right there at $56.
Domaine Dujardin La Tournelle Aligoté 2021 + Cheese plate
Aligoté is the sharp, citrus-driven Burgundian white that Chardonnay stole the spotlight from — and it's exactly what you want cutting through a salty, fatty spread of cheese. At a wine bar where a board is likely your anchor order, this is the move.
The Bottom Line
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.
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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
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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
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Frenchie is a small list doing an outsized job — curated with genuine curiosity, priced without greed, and diverse enough to reward anyone willing to order past the familiar. If you're in San Francisco and you want a glass of something you'd never find at a chain wine bar, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Nob Hill · San Francisco · Italian
Seven Hills is doing something most Italian restaurants in this city won't — building a wine list that actually reflects the breadth of Italian winemaking rather than the highlights reel. If you're even mildly curious about obscure Italian whites, this is one of the better places in SF to take the leap.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
San Francisco · San Francisco · Wine bar & cafe
Bar Bibi is the kind of wine bar that rewards curiosity — the list is stacked with producers most SF spots wouldn't touch, and the pricing is genuinely fair for this city. If you like discovering wines you've never heard of, this is your room.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Santana Row · San Jose · Wine bar
Vintage Wine Bar is a narrow, laser-focused list that will delight Champagne lovers and mildly frustrate anyone hoping for a glass of Pinot Gris. If sparkling wine is your thing, there are genuinely excellent bottles here at prices that don't insult you — send a friend who knows what Bereche et Fils is, and they'll be happy.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Nine Spanish wines, fair prices, and zero apologies — The Nook is a wild card worth taking. If you want a broad international list, look elsewhere; if you want a focused, confident program that actually knows what it's doing, pull up a stool.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Upper East Side · New York · Wine bar
Bar Florine is the kind of place that makes you question why more wine bars don't just commit to a point of view and go. The list is adventurous without being pretentious, the markup on the Musar aside, pricing is fair, and the staff clearly gives a damn — yes, we'd send a friend here, especially one who thinks they don't like wine.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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