Four Bottles, Zero Filler, All Intention
· San Francisco · Japanese izakaya · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 30, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Rintaro’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Four bottles. That's the whole list. At most wine programs, that would be a dealbreaker — here, it feels like a curatorial statement. Every pick has a reason to exist alongside izakaya food, and none of them are the usual suspects.
The four bottles on Rintaro's list span Champagne, Loire Chenin Blanc, an Italian rosato, and a California Syrah — which is a genuinely smart spread for the food-pairing demands of an izakaya menu. Coutier Brut Champagne at $110/bottle anchors the top end; it's a grower producer from Ambonnay, Pinot Noir-heavy, and a real choice rather than a placeholder. Einfeld Chenin Blanc 2023 at $80/bottle and Pojer e Sandri Rosato 2024 at $60/bottle cover the acid-driven, food-friendly middle ground that Japanese small plates demand. Minus Tides Valenti Vineyard Syrah 2023 at $72/bottle rounds it out with a California cool-climate Syrah that won't bulldoze delicate bites. This list has clearly been edited, not abandoned.
By-the-glass options aren't documented from the available sourcing, so we can't confirm what's poured and at what price. With only four bottles on the list, it's possible everything is available by the glass — but we won't speculate. Worth asking your server directly.
The Bottom Line
Rintaro's wine list is a four-bottle edit that respects your intelligence and suits the food. Pricing is fair, the selections are deliberate, and nothing feels like it wandered in from a default distributor catalog. If you're comfortable with a short list and trust that someone thought about it, this is a good place to drink wine with dinner.
· San Francisco · French
Absinthe pulls off something harder than it looks: a tight, all-by-the-glass list that still has genuine depth and fair pricing across almost every tier. The Chevillon and Carillon alone signal that someone here takes wine seriously, and the entry-level pours — Carignan, Riesling, Grenache Rosé, all at $15/glass — mean you don't have to spend big to drink well. If you're near Hayes Valley and want a real glass of Burgundy or an obscure Loire red without a lecture, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Woodside · San Francisco · French-Californian
The Village Pub earns a Wild Card badge because it's a genuinely serious wine program hiding inside what looks like a charming neighborhood spot — Michelin-noted, sommelier-driven, and pulling from regions most Peninsula restaurants don't bother with. Main courses run $40–$70+, and wine markups at this tier tend to be ambitious, so go in with eyes open on spend. But if you're in the area and care about what's in your glass, this is worth the reservation.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· San Francisco · Wine bar and charcuterie
The Refuge is a cult neighborhood joint in San Carlos that earns its Wild Card badge by caring about wine in a context where nobody would blame them for not bothering. The regional focus on France and the West Coast is genuine, not decorative. We don't have enough sourced detail to hand you a specific bottle recommendation, but if you're already going for the pastrami — and you should be — ask about what's open and drink something French. You'll likely be pleasantly surprised.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Financial District · San Francisco · American Tavern
Wayfare Tavern's wine list is small, California-centric, and static — but it's priced fairly and punches above its weight in a couple of spots, especially if you wander into the dessert wine section. For a quick Financial District dinner where you want a decent glass without overthinking it, this list does its job. Don't come here for a deep cellar experience, but don't dismiss it either.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Cow Hollow · San Francisco · French tasting menu
Bar Crenn earns its Wild Card badge not because it's a dive with a surprise cellar, but because a French wine-bar concept inside one of San Francisco's most celebrated dining empires is genuinely unexpected — and by all accounts, it delivers. We can't give you the full pick-card breakdown until the list is sourced, but the setting, the food credentials, and the French-leaning program are enough to tell you this is worth a reservation. Just go in knowing wine is part of the experience here, not a sideline.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· San Francisco · Beer and Wine Bar
Woods Biergarten is doing something genuinely rare: running a thoughtful, adventurous California wine program inside a beer-forward space, built around single-vineyard sourcing and varieties most restaurants wouldn't touch. We don't have pricing data to fully vet the value play, but the ambition alone earns a visit — bring someone who thinks they don't like wine and order them the Corvina.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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