Santa Barbara's Best-Kept Wine Secret
Old Town · Santa Barbara · Modern American gastropub with global and seafood influences · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 11, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Black Sheep Restaurant + Bar’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at The Black Sheep is short — 26 labels — but it punches above its weight in a way that most casual gastropubs in this price range never bother to try. You spot Crozes-Hermitage and Châteauneuf-du-Pape alongside Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir and a Storm Gamay from Presqu'ile, and suddenly you're paying a lot more attention. This isn't a list built by someone who called a distributor and said 'send me the usual.'
The list leans heavily into California — specifically Santa Barbara County — which makes sense given the address, and the regional producers they've picked are genuinely good ones. Samsara shows up twice (Pinot Noir from Rancho La Vina, Syrah/Grenache from SB County), which signals someone here actually knows the appellation. The French corner is small but pointed: Domaine Rousset's Crozes-Hermitage 2019 and Lavau's Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2022 are real wines, not just French-flag decoration. The gap is anything south or east of France — no Spain, no Italy worth mentioning, no Southern Hemisphere — so don't come here expecting breadth.
Nine pours by the glass is a reasonable number for a list this size, running $15–$18, with a happy hour window from 5–6PM that drops select pours to $10 — which is the real move if you're timing your arrival right. The glass selection pulls from the better end of the bottle list, including the Tablas Creek Patelin Rosé and the Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir, so you're not stuck with the leftovers. Rotation appears limited based on available data, but what's here is curated, not accidental.
Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Rosé Paso Robles 2023 — $15/glass, $56/bottle
At $15 a glass, this is the sweet spot on the list. Tablas Creek makes one of the most consistently good Rhône-style rosés in California, and $56 on the bottle — while still a markup — is the most approachable entry on the list for a full pour. Hit it during the 5PM happy hour for $10 and you're drinking very well.
Storm Gamay Presqu'ile Vineyard Santa Maria 2023
Gamay in Santa Barbara County sounds like a novelty act, but Presqu'ile is a serious vineyard and Storm knows what they're doing with it. Most people at this table will order the Pinot and move on — which means this bottle often gets overlooked. Don't let it.
Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County 2021
Au Bon Climat is a perfectly fine wine at retail — around $25 — but at $68 a bottle here, you're paying 172% over what you'd spend at a wine shop. That's a tough pill when the Samsara Pinot Noir from Rancho La Vina is sitting right there and likely offers more terroir for the money.
Domaine Rousset Syrah Les Mejeans Crozes-Hermitage 2019 + Lamb or pork belly small plates
A Northern Rhône Syrah from Crozes-Hermitage has the smoky, olive-tinged grip you want against fatty, salty proteins. The lamb or pork belly dishes on the small plates menu are exactly the kind of thing this wine was built for — rich enough to stand up to it, savory enough to let it sing.
Daily — Happy Hour 5PM–6PM features select wines by the glass for $10
🎲 The Bottom Line
The Black Sheep is a Wild Card in the best sense: a neighborhood gastropub with a short list that's been assembled with genuine care, a few real finds, and a happy hour that makes the steep markups much easier to swallow. Send a wine-curious friend here, just tell them to show up before 6PM.
Montecito · Santa Barbara · Italian
Tre Lune isn't trying to reinvent anything — it's a well-loved Montecito Italian with a wine list that earns its Wine Spectator nod and leans intelligently on Margerum's local chops. Send a friend here knowing the wine will be fairly priced and thoughtfully chosen, even if the excitement ceiling is comfortable rather than thrilling.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Santa Barbara · New American / California Cuisine
Finch & Fork is a reliable pour in a great wine region — the list champions its Santa Barbara backyard with real conviction, even if the markups occasionally make you wince. Send a friend here if they want to drink local and drink well; just steer them toward the Foxen and away from the M5.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Santa Barbara · Italian Pizzeria
Ca' Dario Pizzeria isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — the list does its job, the prices are fair, and the Santa Barbara rosé alone justifies looking past the cocktail menu. Send a friend here if they want solid Italian wine with their pizza and zero fuss.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waterfront / Cabrillo Blvd · Santa Barbara · Italian Steakhouse
Ca' Dario Steakhouse is a reliable wine destination for anyone who wants serious Italian bottles with their steak without having to navigate a 300-label monster list. The markups trend steep, especially on the celebrity bottles, but the Santa Barbara Syrah and Sicilian options give value-hunters a legitimate path.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waterfront / East Beach · Santa Barbara · Contemporary Oaxacan and Mexican
Flor De Maiz isn't a wine destination, but it's a Wild Card in the best sense — a waterfront Oaxacan spot that took the time to build a small, thoughtful list with local producers and a genuine Mexican anchor. Come for the mole, stay for the Barden Brut Rosé.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Public Market / Downtown · Santa Barbara · Thai and Taiwanese-inspired noodle bar
Empty Bowl is a genuinely excellent noodle bar that deserves a better wine program than this — come for the Khao Soi, grab a sake, and don't let the wine list talk you into a $36 Chardonnay. The kitchen is working hard; the wine list is not.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.