Santa Barbara's Backyard, Poured Properly
Los Olivos · Solvang · New American, Farm-to-Table · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 27, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Mattei's Tavern’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
The wine list at Mattei's Tavern reads like a love letter to Santa Barbara County — and honestly, that's the right call when you're sitting in the middle of it. This is a resort restaurant that could easily coast on tourist traffic and pour Kendall-Jackson, but it doesn't. Someone here actually gives a damn.
With somewhere between 150 and 250 labels, the list isn't trying to be a 500-bottle wine bible — it's a tight, purposeful tour of the Santa Ynez Valley and its sub-AVAs. Foxen, Beckmen, Stolpman, Dierberg, Dragonette, Fess Parker — these are real Santa Barbara producers, not window dressing. The Los Olivos District and Santa Rita Hills get proper representation, which means you're seeing both the warm-climate Syrah side of the valley and the cool-climate Pinot and Chardonnay side. The gap is anything outside California: if you want Burgundy or Barolo, you're probably out of luck.
Twelve to twenty by-the-glass options is a solid spread for a resort restaurant, and the presence of a sommelier on staff suggests the pours aren't just whatever needs to move. Expect local Chardonnay, Syrah, and Sauvignon Blanc to anchor the glass program. No evidence of a regular rotation or special BTG events, which is a missed opportunity in a wine region this good.
Dragonette Cellars Sauvignon Blanc — null
Dragonette is one of the most under-the-radar producers in Santa Barbara, and their Sauvignon Blanc punches well above what most people expect from the region. If the markup here is aggressive on the big names, this is where you find the relative sweet spot — and it's a genuinely exciting bottle.
Fess Parker Winery Riesling
Nobody comes to Santa Ynez Valley for Riesling, which is exactly why you should order it. Fess Parker's take on the grape is an odd, pleasant surprise — and at a table full of people reaching for Pinot, you'll have the most interesting glass in the room.
Beckmen Vineyards Syrah
Beckmen makes genuinely good Syrah, but it's also one of the most widely distributed Santa Barbara labels — you can find it at a Whole Foods near you. At resort markup prices, you're paying a premium for a bottle you didn't need to travel to Los Olivos to discover.
Stolpman Vineyards Syrah + Locally sourced lamb or heritage pork dish
Stolpman's Syrah from Ballard Canyon is meaty, peppery, and built for exactly this kind of farm-to-table protein. It's grown less than ten miles from where you're sitting, which makes it less a pairing decision and more just the obvious right answer.
The Bottom Line
Mattei's Tavern earns its Wild Card badge by doing something most hotel restaurants refuse to do: building a wine program that actually reflects where it is. The markup will sting, but if you're eating in Los Olivos and not drinking local Santa Barbara wine, you've made a serious lifestyle error.
Alisal Ranch / Golf Course · Solvang · Casual American Grill
The Grill at the Ranch Course isn't a wine destination, but it's a smart, locally-honest list that respects its surroundings more than most golf course restaurants bother to. If you're already at Alisal Ranch, lean into the Santa Ynez producers and you'll drink well.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Buellton · Solvang · Californian farm-to-table, wood-fired, casual
Industrial Eats shouldn't have a wine list this good, and that's exactly why we like it. If you're already making the drive through the Santa Ynez Valley, this is the casual stop that earns a detour.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Santa Ynez · Solvang · Italian Trattoria
Trattoria Grappolo isn't trying to be a destination wine bar, and it doesn't need to be — it's a warm, well-run trattoria with a list that respects its address and feeds the food well. If you're in the Santa Ynez Valley and want local wines with good pasta, this is exactly the right call.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Los Alamos · Solvang · Wood-fired flatbreads and seasonal Californian cuisine
Full of Life Flatbread is the best argument for pulling off the freeway in Los Alamos — the food and the wine list are both punching way above what a casual flatbread spot has any business delivering. If you're driving through wine country and skipping this because it doesn't look like a tasting room, that's on you.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Los Alamos · Solvang · Seasonal Californian farm-to-table
Pico is the rare restaurant where the wine program is as compelling as the drive to get there. If you're making the trip to Los Alamos, the list alone is reason enough to book a table and stay awhile.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Los Alamos · Solvang · French Bistro
Bell's is the rare small-town restaurant where the wine list is as considered as the food, and the two actually talk to each other. If you're anywhere near Los Alamos, this is a destination — not a detour.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Ballard · Solvang · New American, Farm-to-Table
The Gathering Table is the right place to drink Santa Ynez wine in Santa Ynez wine country — focused, specific, and genuinely local in a way most inn restaurants aren't. The markups keep it from being a great wine destination on value alone, but if you're already in Ballard for the weekend, you're exactly where you should be.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Canyons Village · Park City · New American, Farm-to-Table
The Farm is a solid, safe wine program for a resort restaurant — it won't embarrass you on a date or disappoint a table of non-wine-people, but it's not worth any special effort. Order what you know, enjoy the mountain views, and don't look too hard at the markups.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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