Solid Italian anchor in a wine desert
South Lubbock · Lubbock · Upscale Italian with New York–influenced fare · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 24, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Stella's arrives looking ambitious for Lubbock — Italian-leaning, organized by style, with a price range that suggests someone put real thought into it. It's not a throwaway clipboard list. But dig past the first page and you start noticing the same familiar faces that show up everywhere: Santa Margherita, Moët, Dona Paula.
The Italian thread runs through the whole list, which is the right call for this kitchen — you've got Banfi's 'San Angelo' Pinot Grigio from Tuscany, Col di Sasso's Sangiovese-Cab blend, and the Banfi Centine Rosso giving the list some regional coherence. The standout local nod is McPherson Cellars, a Texas producer worth knowing, and it earns its place here. That said, the red wine depth is where the list shows its limits — there's no real Barolo, no Chianti Classico Riserva, nothing that makes an Italian-focused restaurant feel like it's swinging for the fences. King Estate Pinot Gris from Willamette Valley is a pleasant surprise in an otherwise coast-to-coast-generic white wine section.
Roughly 15–20 options by the glass is generous for a market like Lubbock, and the $8–$15 price range keeps things accessible. Pours come in 6oz and 9oz options, which is a nice touch that lets you work through the list without committing to a bottle. The rotation appears static — no evidence of a regularly changing by-the-glass program.
King Estate Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley — $13/glass
King Estate is a serious Oregon producer making textured, food-friendly Pinot Gris that punches above its price point. On a list heavy with Italian Pinot Grigio, this is the more interesting pour at roughly the same price.
McPherson Cellars
Most diners at Stella's will default to something Italian or Californian without noticing there's a Texas wine on the list. McPherson Cellars out of Lubbock is a legitimate producer — not a novelty pour — and ordering it here feels right in a way that it wouldn't at most restaurants.
Avissi Prosecco
At $45 a bottle — nearly 4x retail on an $11 supermarket Prosecco — this is the worst value on the list. If you want bubbles, the Saracco Moscato d'Asti is a more interesting pour. If you want Champagne, just go for the Moët and know what you're paying for.
Col di Sasso Sangiovese/Cabernet, Tuscany + Handmade pasta with red sauce
Col di Sasso's Sangiovese backbone was made for tomato-based dishes — the acidity cuts through richness and the Italian grape profile stays in the lane of whatever's coming out of the pasta kitchen. It's not a complicated pairing, but it's the right one.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Stella's is doing more than most Lubbock restaurants bother to do with wine, and the Italian-focused list makes sense for the food. The markups keep it from being a destination for wine drinkers, but as a neighborhood anchor with a solid by-the-glass program and a local Texas pour on the list, it earns its keep.
Texas Tech / University Area · Lubbock · Winery Restaurant / American Bistro
Burklee Hill at Skyviews is a Wild Card in the best sense — a genuine estate winery experience in the middle of Lubbock, pouring wines that actually reflect their place. If you're curious about Texas wine and not just tolerant of it, this list is worth your time.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Southeast Lubbock · Lubbock · Winery tasting room with light bites
If you think Texas wine is still playing catch-up, English Newsom Cellars will quietly adjust your priors. Come for the Tempranillo, stay for the view, and stop sleeping on what the High Plains can do.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Downtown (Buddy Holly Hall / Depot-area) · Lubbock · Wine Bar & Bistro / New American
Burklee Hill is the rare winery tasting room that actually makes you believe in the place it comes from. If you're eating in Lubbock and want something worth talking about, this is where you go for wine — full stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Greater Lubbock · Lubbock · Wine Tasting Room
Farmhouse Vineyards is doing something genuinely uncommon in Texas wine country — leaning hard into obscure European varieties with an estate-only focus and pricing that doesn't take advantage of the novelty. If you're anywhere near Lubbock and even mildly curious about what Texas terroir can do with Counoise and Malvasia Bianca, this is worth your afternoon.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Outskirts · Lubbock · Winery Tasting Room
English Newsom Cellars is a genuine Texas wine curiosity worth making the detour for — not because everything is world-class, but because where else are you tasting Sagrantino and Picardan grown on the Llano Estacado? Come thirsty, stay open-minded, and put the Flirt back on the shelf.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Outskirts / North Lubbock · Lubbock · Winery / Tasting Room
Pheasant Ridge is a piece of Texas wine history that's still actively making that history, and five dollars gets you in the door. If you're anywhere near Lubbock and care even a little about where American wine comes from, this stop is non-negotiable.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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