South American soul meets Central Coast terroir
Downtown · San Luis Obispo · Peruvian and Latin American Fusion · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 20, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Mistura’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Mistura is a short but deliberate document that actually tries to match the restaurant's identity — South American wines anchoring a Latin-forward list, with a few local Paso Robles picks thrown in for the SLO crowd. It's not a deep list, but it's not lazy either. Someone made intentional choices here.
Argentina and Chile do most of the heavy lifting, with bottles like the Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard Malbec and the Concha y Toro Terrunyo Carmenère giving the list some real credibility. The Paso Robles presence — anchored by Tablas Creek's Côtes de Tablas Blanc — is a smart local nod that works well with the menu's brighter, acid-driven dishes. The list tops out around 40-50 selections, which is modest for an upscale-casual spot, and there are some obvious gaps: no sparkling, minimal white depth beyond the Tablas Creek, and very little by way of discovery picks under $50. What's here is good; there just isn't enough of it.
Eight to twelve pours is a respectable by-the-glass program for a restaurant this size, and the selection tracks the bottle list — South American-leaning with a Central Coast cameo or two. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority, which means you'll likely see the same options on your third visit as your first. That's fine if the picks are solid, but it does limit the fun.
Tablas Creek Côtes de Tablas Blanc — null
A Rhône-style white from one of Paso Robles' most respected producers — this is the bottle that over-delivers at whatever Mistura charges for it. The blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, and Viognier is food-friendly in all the right ways and plays beautifully against the citrus notes running through the menu.
Concha y Toro Terrunyo Carmenère
Most tables will gravitate toward the Malbec and miss this entirely. The Terrunyo is one of Concha y Toro's serious single-vineyard expressions — not a mass-market pour — and Carmenère's earthy, smoky character is a genuinely interesting match for a table full of Peruvian flavors.
Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard Malbec
This is a legitimately great wine — no argument there — but Adrianna Vineyard Malbec commands a significant premium, and restaurant markup on a bottle this well-known rarely flatters the diner. If you want to spend big, go for it. But you're almost certainly paying 3-4x retail at a spot with no dedicated wine program to justify it.
Tablas Creek Côtes de Tablas Blanc + Ceviche
Leche de tigre is acidic and bright, and you need a white with enough texture and its own citrus backbone to hold its ground. The Côtes de Tablas Blanc has exactly that — it doesn't get washed out and it doesn't fight the dish. It's the most logical pour on the list for the most popular item on the menu.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Mistura earns its Wild Card badge by doing something most Peruvian spots don't bother with: building a wine list that actually reflects where the food comes from. The execution has room to grow — markups are real, the list is thin in spots, and specials aren't a thing — but the instinct is right, and that Tablas Creek bottle alone is worth the detour.
Edna Valley / Biddle Ranch Road · San Luis Obispo · Winery Restaurant & Tasting Room
Tolosa is the rare tasting room that earns your full afternoon — focused, estate-driven wines in a proper setting, with the occasional Priorat curveball keeping things honest. If you're driving through SLO wine country, this one deserves more than a quick stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Downtown · San Luis Obispo · Charcuterie, Wine Bar
The Boardroom is punching above its weight class — a tight, locally-focused wine list in a room purpose-built for drinking it well. Send your friends here, especially the ones who think Central Coast wine is just Paso cab.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · San Luis Obispo · American gastropub / craft beer bar
Finney's is a great craft beer bar that happens to have a wine list attached, and the wine list knows its place. If you're here for wine, you're at the wrong table — but if your crew wants beer and you need something in a stem, the Margerum Rosé will get you through the night.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
The Creamery / Downtown · San Luis Obispo · Wood-fired pizzeria / artisanal American
Bear & The Wren is a Wild Card in the best sense — a casual wood-fired spot that quietly stocks one of the more thoughtful Central Coast-focused lists in SLO. If you're eating here, you should absolutely be drinking here too.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Marsh Street Corridor · San Luis Obispo · Contemporary Californian/New American
Nate's on Marsh is doing something genuinely worthwhile — championing its own backyard appellations in a region that deserves the spotlight. The markups keep it from being a destination wine stop, but as a neighborhood restaurant in San Luis Obispo that actually cares about where the wine comes from, it earns the trust of anyone eating there.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · San Luis Obispo · Modern American Steakhouse
Ox + Anchor is a reliable choice if you're already here for the steak and want a glass of something Central Coast-proud to go with it. Just don't come expecting discovery — this list was built to comfort, not to challenge.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.