The Sideways pilgrimage that still delivers
Buellton · Solvang · Steakhouse / Santa Maria–style barbecue · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 27, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Hitching Post II’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
The wine list here is essentially a love letter to one producer — and that producer happens to be the guys running the kitchen. It sounds like a gimmick until you realize Hitching Post Wines is legitimately good, and the list is priced with a generosity you rarely see at a restaurant that could easily get away with gouging. No pretense, no fluff — just a focused, honest list built around what grows in this county.
The list leans hard on Hitching Post's own lineup — the Highliner and Perfect Set Pinot Noirs anchor it, with the Syrah and Chardonnay rounding out the house offerings. There's a modest supporting cast of other Santa Barbara County Pinot Noirs, which at least signals some regional pride beyond self-promotion. Don't come here expecting Burgundy, Barolo, or anything outside the Central Coast orbit — that's not the point. What you get is a tight, coherent list that makes a clear argument: this land, these grapes, this food.
Roughly 8 to 12 options by the glass, nearly all from the Hitching Post portfolio, running $10 to $18. That's a reasonable spread for a steakhouse of this caliber, and the glass pours let you work through the lineup without committing to a bottle. The Syrah by the glass at the lower end of the price range is an easy yes before dinner even starts.
Hitching Post Syrah — $48
Retails around $30 and the restaurant is only adding about 60% — which, in steakhouse math, is practically charity. Full-bodied enough to hold up to anything off the grill, and it's the kind of bottle that disappears faster than you planned.
Hitching Post Chardonnay
Everyone comes here for the Pinot and ignores the white, which is exactly why this is worth ordering. At $42 a bottle it's a steal, and it's a grounding counterpoint to a table full of red meat — especially if grilled artichokes are in the mix.
Hitching Post Pinot Noir Perfect Set
At $72 it's the priciest bottle on the Hitching Post roster and while it's not a bad wine, the Highliner at $60 drinks nearly as well for the occasion. The price gap isn't justified by enough difference in the glass to matter on a loud, busy weeknight.
Hitching Post Pinot Noir Highliner + Grilled ribeye steak
Santa Barbara Pinot and open-fire beef is the whole thesis of this restaurant. The Highliner has enough structure to cut through the char and fat without overwhelming the meat — it's not a bold cab trying to prove something, it's a wine that knows its role.
The Bottom Line
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.
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Small but Thoughtful
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Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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Small but Thoughtful
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Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
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Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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