Healdsburg's Quirky Little Wine Overachiever
· Healdsburg · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed September 23, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The Spinster Sisters’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Eighteen bottles, eighteen glass pours — that's not a wine list, that's a statement. The Spinster Sisters are clearly not interested in running a lazy, safe-bet program in the middle of Sonoma wine country. This list reads like it was curated by someone who actively avoids the obvious.
The geographic range here is genuinely surprising for a list this compact: Austrian Zweigelt from Neusiedlersee, Monica from Sardinia, Grillo/Catarratto from Sicily, Carignane/Grenache from the Côtes Catalanes, and a Late Harvest Furmint from Hungary all share space with local Sonoma and Dry Creek producers. There's a California Delta sparkling Albariño, a Lodi Mission grape, and an Alsatian-style blend from Willamette Valley. Serious wine nerds will find things to get excited about; casual drinkers might need a minute to find their footing. The bottle price ceiling of $58 keeps this entirely accessible, which makes the list's ambition even more impressive.
Every single bottle on the list is available by the glass, which is either generous or logistically terrifying depending on how busy their nights get. Glass pours run $12–$16, with most options sitting at $13–$15 — reasonable for Healdsburg, where $18 Chardonnay pours are basically the floor at most spots. The range covers sparkling, white, orange, rosé, red, and dessert, so you can theoretically drink your way around the world without committing to a bottle.
The Bottom Line
The Spinster Sisters are doing something genuinely unusual in Healdsburg: running an adventurous, globally-minded wine list at prices that don't make you do math before ordering a second glass. If you care even a little about wine, this list is worth your time — and if you're a local Sonoma drinker who wants to try something that isn't another Valley Chardonnay, this is exactly the detour you've been looking for.
· Healdsburg · California Seafood
Handline earns its Wild Card badge not because the wine list is extraordinary on paper, but because the combination — California seafood, counter service, string lights, Sonoma-focused wine — shouldn't work this well and somehow does. If you're road-tripping through wine country and want a low-pressure lunch with local pours and grilled oysters, this is exactly the kind of detour worth making. Just go in knowing the wine list is supporting cast, not the headline act.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Steakhouse
Stark's is the rare steakhouse that treats wine as something other than an afterthought or a cash grab. The list is compact but genuinely considered, markups are fair across the board, and the full bottle-to-glass availability is a policy every restaurant should copy. If you're eating in Healdsburg and want to drink well without overpaying, this is a legitimate stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Italian
Ciao Bruto is running one of the smallest and most coherent wine lists in wine country, which is either audacious or brilliant — probably both. If you want a 200-label deep-dive, go somewhere else. If you want eight smart picks at prices that won't make you wince, this is the move in Healdsburg.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Wine Bar
Maison is what happens when someone builds a wine bar list with genuine curiosity instead of a regional checklist — you're in the heart of Sonoma Wine Country and the list keeps pointing you toward Mosel Riesling, Douro whites, and 1934 Madeira. The by-the-glass program alone justifies a visit, and the pricing is fair enough that you can explore without flinching. If you're in Healdsburg and you actually care about wine, this is the stop.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Seafood
The Marshall Store earns its reputation as a low-key, scenic spot for fresh West Coast oysters and smoked salmon — and if that's your mission, it delivers. But the wine program is effectively an afterthought: undocumented, uncurated, and not a reason to visit. Bring a bottle from one of the Healdsburg producers down the road, check the corkage policy at the door, and spend your energy on the food.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Geyserville · Healdsburg · Italian
Diavola earns its Wild Card badge because it's a wood-fired pizza joint that punches well above its weight on wine — sommelier on staff, regional focus, and a setting that practically demands you order a second glass. We can't give you the bottle-by-bottle breakdown until we get eyes on a current list, but the bones here are good enough to say: don't just order a beer and move on.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Round Rock · New American
Whiskey Cake Round Rock isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — the all-by-the-glass format keeps things approachable, the pricing is honest, and there are a couple of genuinely good pours hiding in a short list. If wine is your priority tonight, look elsewhere; if you're here for the vibe and want something decent in your glass, Chehalem and Altocedro have you covered.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Columbia · New American
Motor Supply Co. Bistro appears to put its energy into the kitchen, and that may be the right call — but three wines is not a wine program. Until this list gets a serious rethink, order a cocktail or call ahead to ask about corkage.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · New American
THREE isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes that abundantly clear. If you're here for cocktails or the bar scene, you're probably in the right place — but if wine matters to you even a little, this four-item lineup isn't going to do much for you. Order the House Champagne at $5, accept the situation for what it is, and move on.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.