Great Beer List, Wine Forgot to Show Up
Downtown / State Street · Santa Barbara · American Tavern / Bar & Grill · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 11, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Finney's Crafthouse Santa Barbara’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Finney's is clearly built for beer — the craft tap list is long, proud, and front and center. The wine list feels like it was added as an afterthought, a short column at the bottom of the menu that says 'we have wine, sure.' Nothing here is going to make a wine drinker feel seen, but at $7–$9 a glass, at least they're not making you pay for the indignity.
Five wines and a Prosecco. That's the whole program. You've got three house pours — Cab, Chard, Sauv Blanc — that are what they are, plus a Terra D'Oro Pinot Grigio and a Caymus Red Blend rounding things out. The lone bright spot is Margerum Rosé, a local Santa Barbara producer that someone clearly made one good call to include. Beyond that one nod to the region, there's no depth, no exploration, and no real attempt to leverage the fact that wine country is literally 30 minutes up the road.
Five pours total, and one of them is Prosecco. If you're not drinking bubbles, you're choosing between house mystery juice, a safe Pinot Grigio, or a Caymus blend that's doing a lot of heavy lifting for a bar menu. Rotation? There is none. This list has been the same since the day it was laminated.
Margerum Rosé — $9
Margerum is a legit Santa Barbara producer making real wine from local fruit. Getting it by the glass at $9 in a tavern setting is actually a decent deal — this bottle retails well above what the price suggests here.
Margerum Rosé
Most people in a craft beer bar are walking past this without a second glance, which is a shame. Margerum has serious credibility in the Santa Barbara wine scene and this pour punches well above the room it's being served in.
Caymus Red Blend
Caymus is a marketing machine that's been coasting on its reputation for years. In a place that charges fair prices, it's not a rip-off exactly, but you're paying for the name on a blend that's been engineered for mass appeal. The Margerum is right there.
Margerum Rosé + Craft Burger
A dry, food-forward rosé from Santa Barbara wine country has enough structure to stand up to a juicy burger without the tannin weight of a red. It's the kind of pairing that works even if nobody at the table planned it.
❌ The Bottom Line
Finney's is a beer bar with wine on the menu because it has to be — come for the taps, order the Margerum Rosé if you want something in a stem, and don't go in hoping for more than that.
Montecito · Santa Barbara · Italian
Tre Lune isn't trying to reinvent anything — it's a well-loved Montecito Italian with a wine list that earns its Wine Spectator nod and leans intelligently on Margerum's local chops. Send a friend here knowing the wine will be fairly priced and thoughtfully chosen, even if the excitement ceiling is comfortable rather than thrilling.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Santa Barbara · New American / California Cuisine
Finch & Fork is a reliable pour in a great wine region — the list champions its Santa Barbara backyard with real conviction, even if the markups occasionally make you wince. Send a friend here if they want to drink local and drink well; just steer them toward the Foxen and away from the M5.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Santa Barbara · Italian Pizzeria
Ca' Dario Pizzeria isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — the list does its job, the prices are fair, and the Santa Barbara rosé alone justifies looking past the cocktail menu. Send a friend here if they want solid Italian wine with their pizza and zero fuss.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waterfront / Cabrillo Blvd · Santa Barbara · Italian Steakhouse
Ca' Dario Steakhouse is a reliable wine destination for anyone who wants serious Italian bottles with their steak without having to navigate a 300-label monster list. The markups trend steep, especially on the celebrity bottles, but the Santa Barbara Syrah and Sicilian options give value-hunters a legitimate path.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waterfront / East Beach · Santa Barbara · Contemporary Oaxacan and Mexican
Flor De Maiz isn't a wine destination, but it's a Wild Card in the best sense — a waterfront Oaxacan spot that took the time to build a small, thoughtful list with local producers and a genuine Mexican anchor. Come for the mole, stay for the Barden Brut Rosé.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Public Market / Downtown · Santa Barbara · Thai and Taiwanese-inspired noodle bar
Empty Bowl is a genuinely excellent noodle bar that deserves a better wine program than this — come for the Khao Soi, grab a sake, and don't let the wine list talk you into a $36 Chardonnay. The kitchen is working hard; the wine list is not.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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