Sonoma Pedigree Meets Banh Mi Chaos
Sonoma Plaza · Sonoma · Contemporary American and Global Small Plates · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 26, 2026
RagingWine reviewed OSO Sonoma’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
You're on the Sonoma Plaza, Korean fried chicken is flying past you, and the wine list has Emeritus and A. Rafanelli on it — we did not see that coming. Twenty-six labels is a tight edit, but the names they picked are doing real work. This is a small-plates spot that actually thought about its wine program.
OSO leans hard into California and doesn't apologize for it — which, given you're sitting in Sonoma County, is the right call. The lineup hits the heavy hitters: Flowers and Patz & Hall for Chardonnay fans, Emeritus Hallberg Ranch for Pinot obsessives, and A. Rafanelli Zinfandel for anyone who knows what Dry Creek actually tastes like. The wild card is the Gremlin Vines Flakey Z Old Vine Zinfandel from Sonoma Valley — a producer most tourists walking the Plaza will walk right past on the list. They're light on non-California representation and there's nothing for natural wine drinkers, but within their lane they've assembled a genuinely respectable 26-bottle snapshot of the region.
Seventeen by-the-glass options on a 26-bottle list is a generous ratio — most of what's on the menu is pourable without committing to a full bottle. Prices run $12–$18 a glass, which is reasonable for Sonoma Plaza real estate. We'd love to see more rotation or a chalkboard special, but the depth of the glass program is the strongest argument for stopping in solo at the bar.
Vaughn Duffy Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley 2024 — $18/glass
Vaughn Duffy punches well above its profile recognition — Russian River Sauvignon Blanc from a small-production producer that most people don't know yet. At $18 a glass in Sonoma, you're getting something worth finding before everyone else does.
Gremlin Vines Flakey Z Old Vine Zinfandel Sonoma Valley 2020
Nobody at the table is ordering this, and that's exactly why you should. Old vine Zinfandel from Sonoma Valley doesn't need to shout — it just needs to exist while everyone else grabs the Pinot Noir. This is the bottle that makes the list interesting.
A. Rafanelli Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley 2023
We love Rafanelli. We do not love it at $105 a bottle when retail runs closer to $35–$40. That's a markup that makes the math hard to justify, even in wine country. The wine earns respect; the price does not.
Idle Cellars Grenache Kick Ranch 2019 + Korean Fried Chicken
Kick Ranch Grenache has enough brightness and red fruit to cut through the fat and heat of Korean fried chicken without the tannins turning the whole thing into a fight. It's the kind of pairing that happens when a thoughtful list meets bold food.
🎲 The Bottom Line
OSO is a Wild Card in the best sense — a buzzy small-plates spot on the Plaza that actually bothered to curate a California wine list worth reading. Markups on the bottles are real, so lean on the glass pours, order something you've never heard of, and eat the chicken.
Sonoma Plaza / Downtown Sonoma · Sonoma · Wine Tasting with Rotating Chef-Driven Pop-Ups
Bedrock is not a wine list — it's a focused argument for why old-vine California deserves your full attention. If you're in Sonoma and you skip this, you're doing it wrong.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Healdsburg Plaza · Sonoma · Fine Dining / New American
Dry Creek Kitchen is the rare restaurant where the wine list is genuinely worth the trip on its own merits — deep, local, curated by someone with taste and access. If you're in Sonoma and you care about wine, this is a must.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Healdsburg · Sonoma · Sandwiches / Wine Bar
Troubadour is the kind of place that makes you reconsider your lunch plans — in the best possible way. If you're in Healdsburg and you care about what's in your glass, this sandwich shop deserves your full attention.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Healdsburg · Sonoma · Spanish tapas
Bravas is a Wild Card in the best sense: a casual, loud, share-everything tapas bar in the middle of Sonoma Wine Country that actually built a wine list with a brain. It won't blow your mind, but it will keep your glass interesting all night without emptying your wallet.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Healdsburg · Sonoma · Small Plates / New American
Chalkboard isn't trying to be a destination wine bar — it's a polished Healdsburg restaurant that takes its wine list seriously enough to stock Rochioli, Copain, and Ridge alongside Taittinger and actually price them like they want you to order a second bottle. Send a friend here and tell them to start with the Sauvignon Blanc.
Solid Range
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Healdsburg Plaza · Sonoma · Upscale farm-to-table / modern California
The Matheson has built one of the most genuinely exciting wine programs in Sonoma wine country — the Wine Wall alone is worth the trip, and the depth of the broader list shows real intention. The markups on trophy bottles are hard to ignore, but if you play the Wall smart, you'll drink far better here than almost anywhere else in Healdsburg.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
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