Sherry and sangria doing serious work
· San Jose · Spanish / Peruvian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 16, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Suspiro’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Suspiro is short — 22 labels — but it earns its keep fast. You open the drinks menu expecting tourist sangria and walk into a genuine sherry program flanked by Txakoli and Priorat. That's not something you see every day in San Jose.
The backbone here is Iberian, and it's done with real care. The sherry section alone — Bodegas Tradición Amontillado VORS, Bodegas Barbadillo Manzanilla, Emilio Lustau Oloroso Don Nuño, and the Tradición Oloroso VORS — reads like someone actually knows what they're doing with fortified wines. Beyond that, you get Txomin Etxaniz Txakolina from Getaria, a Corpinnat from Can Descregut, and Olivier Rivière's Rayos Uva from Rioja — producers with genuine credibility. The California presence is light but not embarrassing, with the Mauritson Sauvignon Blanc and Alfaro Family A holding their own. The only real gap is depth in red — Sierra Cantabria Crianza and Coster Dels Olivers Priorat are solid anchors, but there's room for more.
Twenty-one of the 22 labels pour by the glass, which is nearly the entire list — a rare and generous move. The range runs from $9 for the Barbadillo Manzanilla up to $35 for the Tradición Amontillado VORS, giving you real optionality at every price point. The sherry pours by the glass are the main event here and the reason to visit.
Bodegas Barbadillo Manzanilla — $9/glass
Nine dollars for a properly sourced Manzanilla from one of Sanlúcar's most respected houses. This is the kind of wine that costs twice as much when someone figures out how to market it. Order it now.
Herència Altés Garnatxa Blanca 2024
Most people will scroll past this for something familiar, but Garnatxa Blanca from Terra Alta is worth your attention — textured, saline, and genuinely interesting at $13 a glass. It fits the Spanish-Peruvian kitchen perfectly.
Campfire Sangria
At $18 a glass, you're paying cocktail prices for a batched sangria when there's a $9 Manzanilla and a $13 Txakolina sitting right next to it. The sangria pitchers by the bottle make more sense if that's your vibe, but solo glass? Skip it.
Txomin Etxaniz Getariako Txakolina 2024 + Ceviche
Txakoli's high acid and light spritz were basically designed to cut through citrus-cured fish. The Peruvian side of this kitchen plays right into what this wine does naturally — it's a no-brainer.
The Bottom Line
Suspiro is punching well above its weight for a 22-label list in San Jose. The sherry program alone makes it worth a visit, and the by-the-glass breadth means you can explore without committing to a bottle.
· San Jose · New American
Poppy & Claro's wine program exists to check a box, not to excite you. Unless Flowers Chardonnay by the bottle is exactly what you came for, the cocktail menu might be a better bet.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Jose · Wine bar / bottle shop
Ancora Vino is the kind of small, focused bottle shop that makes you realize how much dead weight most wine lists carry. If you're anywhere near San Jose and curious about natural wine, obscure Italian reds, or just want something genuinely weird and good for under $25, this place deserves your attention.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Jose · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão San Jose is a meat destination, full stop — the wine list exists as a formality, not a feature. Order the Salton sparkling to start, grab the Malbec for the meat parade, and don't expect anything more than that.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Campbell · San Jose · Steakhouse with Italian influences
Be.Steak.A is doing more with its wine list than most South Bay steakhouses bother to attempt — the sommelier is real, the selections have personality, and the Massican pick alone earns genuine respect. The markups are on the steeper side, which is expected at this level, but the list has enough character that you're paying for something worth the splurge.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Downtown San Jose · San Jose · Steakhouse and Classic American
GrandView is doing exactly what a mountaintop steakhouse with jaw-dropping views over Santa Clara Valley is supposed to do — it's feeding the occasion, not the curiosity. Bring someone you want to impress, order the Mt. Brave, and enjoy the sunset.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Saratoga · San Jose · Modern Californian/New American
Plumed Horse is one of the most serious wine destinations in the South Bay, full stop. The markup will make your eyes water in places, but if you're willing to explore the list with help from the sommelier team, there's genuinely exceptional drinking to be done here.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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