Santa Barbara's backyard poured into a glass
Downtown Solvang · Solvang · New American
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 27, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Root 246’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walk into Root 246 and the wine list reads like a love letter to Santa Barbara County — and we mean that in the best possible way. This isn't a generic hotel restaurant list padded with Napa Cab and Willamette Pinot; it's a focused, purposeful 150-plus bottle showcase of what's growing thirty minutes in every direction. The sommelier presence is real here, and you feel it immediately.
The list leans hard into Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Ynez Valley, which is exactly what it should do given the address. Brewer-Clifton and Sandhi anchor the Chardonnay section with serious, terroir-driven bottles that would hold their own anywhere. Melville covers Pinot Noir duty with confidence, while Stolpman and Qupé bring heat-tolerant Syrah into the picture — a grape that doesn't get nearly enough table time this close to its California heartland. Happy Canyon gets a nod too, which signals a list-maker who isn't just hitting the obvious marks.
With 15 to 25 pours on offer, the by-the-glass program is one of the stronger arguments for dining here. At $14 to $28 a glass, you're paying hotel-restaurant prices, but you're also getting access to producers like Stolpman and Sandhi by the pour, which isn't something most neighborhoods can say. Rotation isn't confirmed as active, but the range is wide enough that most people will find something worth ordering.
Qupé Syrah — $50
Qupé is one of California's most undervalued Syrah producers and a founding voice for Santa Barbara Rhône-style wines. At the lower end of this list's bottle pricing, it's an honest, food-friendly pour that punches well above its price point.
Sandhi Wines Chardonnay
Most guests at a hotel restaurant will default to something familiar. Don't. Sandhi is Raj Parr's project and represents some of the most Burgundian Chardonnay made in California — restrained, mineral, and genuinely worth seeking out. Easy to overlook on a list full of bigger names.
Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay
Brewer-Clifton makes good wine, but it's also the most recognizable label on this list and almost certainly carries the highest markup as a result. You can find it at retail without much effort. Use your budget on something you can't grab at a wine shop back home.
Melville Pinot Noir + Wood-grilled proteins
Melville's Pinot has enough structure to stand up to char and smoke from the grill without overwhelming whatever protein is underneath. It's a versatile, savory match that plays to the kitchen's strengths.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Root 246 is the rare hotel restaurant that actually earns your wine attention — a focused Santa Barbara County list with real producers, a sommelier who knows the material, and pricing that doesn't punish you for being curious. If you're passing through Solvang wine country, this is where you eat.
Downtown Solvang · Solvang · Wine Bar & Craft Beer Bar
The Good Life is what happens when someone in a tourist town actually cares about wine instead of just selling it. Come here, drink something you've never heard of, and feel good about it.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Solvang · Solvang · Italian
Cecco isn't a destination for the wine list, but it's not an afterthought either. If you're in Solvang and want a solid glass of local Sangiovese with a wood-fired pizza without overthinking it, this place has you covered.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Solvang · Solvang · Traditional Danish and Danish-American comfort food
Solvang Restaurant is not a wine destination, but it's not pretending to be one either — and that honesty is its best quality. If you're here for Danish pancakes and a glass of local Santa Barbara wine, you'll leave happy; just don't expect the list to keep up with the tasting rooms a few miles away.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Los Olivos · Solvang · New American, Farm-to-Table
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.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Buellton · Solvang · Steakhouse / Santa Maria–style barbecue
The Hitching Post II is a one-of-a-kind wine experience precisely because it doesn't try to be a wine experience — it's a steakhouse that happens to make great wine and charges you fairly for it. Send your friends here, especially if they've seen Sideways and think the mystique has worn off. It hasn't.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Santa Ynez Valley · Solvang · Thai
Na Na Thai is a genuinely surprising wine program hiding inside a casual Thai spot in Buellton — fair prices, smart curation, and a clear point of view about what wines belong with spice-driven food. If you're driving through wine country and want something that earns its own kind of credibility, this list is worth the detour.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mountain Village Core · Telluride · New American
Black Iron is a well-run resort wine program with real credentials — a sommelier, 300+ labels, and proper storage — but California-comfort pricing means you're paying for the altitude as much as the wine. Go in with a budget, talk to the sommelier, and you'll eat and drink well.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Silverado Trail North / Four Seasons · Calistoga · New American
TRUSS is a world-class trophy list wrapped in resort pricing — if someone else is paying, it's a bucket-list experience. If you're paying your own tab, go in with a plan, target the Champagne deep cuts, and don't touch the Veuve.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Historic Railroad District · Ashland · New American
Peerless is a reliable pour in a theater town — the list is short but considered, the Oregon selections are genuinely good, and the pricing won't ruin your evening as long as you pick wisely. Send a friend here for a pre-show glass, not a deep-dive wine dinner.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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