A Dessert Wine Collection That Defies Reality
Montecito · Santa Barbara · Fine Dining · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 10, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Stonehouse Restaurant’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
You open the wine list at The Stonehouse expecting a standard Santa Barbara Pinot-heavy spread and instead find yourself staring at a Madeira bottled during the Grover Cleveland administration. This list is not trying to please everyone — it is curated with a singular, almost obsessive focus on aged fortified and dessert wines that you simply do not encounter at a restaurant like this. It stops you mid-sentence.
The list is small — 27 labels — but every one of them feels deliberate. The backbone is an extraordinary collection of D'Oliveira and Graham's Madeiras stretching back to 1977, alongside a Port lineup that runs from Dow's 10 Year Tawny all the way to a Taylor Fladgate Single Harvest 1896. Sauternes gets serious representation with both Château Les Justices and a 2006 Château d'Yquem, while Tokaji fans will find Royal Tokaji's Nyulászó 6 Puttonyos Aszú and Essencia side by side — a rare pairing. The one notable gap is any meaningful dry table wine presence; if you want a Burgundy or a Barolo with dinner, you're largely out of luck.
Twenty-four of the 27 labels are available by the glass, which is remarkable given what's on this list — pouring a 1882 Graham's Ne Oublie by the glass is not something most restaurants would dare to do. Prices range from $15 to $650 per glass, so the range is genuinely massive. The program rewards curiosity: you can build a tasting flight through decades of Madeira history without committing to a full bottle.
Dow's 10 Year Tawny Port — $15
At the low end of the price range and the entry point into a serious fortified program, this is the glass that lets you dip a toe in without the sticker shock of the vintage pours sitting next to it on the list.
Musella Recioto della Valpolicella 2017
Most guests will fixate on the Port and Madeira, which means this rich, dried-grape red from Valpolicella gets overlooked every night. Recioto is the sweeter, less famous sibling of Amarone — and Musella makes a beautiful one. Order it before someone else figures it out.
Château d'Yquem Sauternes 2006
It's d'Yquem, so it's never truly a bad choice — but at bottle prices pushing the top of a $900–$1,300 range, you're paying a significant luxury premium for a wine you can find at retail for a fraction of what this list implies. With something this iconic, the markup stings more than usual.
Royal Tokaji Co. Nyulászó 6 Puttonyos Aszú 2017 + Foie Gras
Tokaji Aszú at 6 Puttonyos has the acidity to cut through foie gras's richness while its apricot and honeyed complexity mirrors the unctuous, savory character of the dish. It's one of the great classical pairings in European gastronomy and this list gives you the genuine article to do it right.
The Bottom Line
The Stonehouse is not a wine list for everyone, and that's exactly the point — if you have even a passing interest in aged Madeira, rare Port, or dessert wines of serious pedigree, this place belongs on your list. Come for the experience, not the value.
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
Downtown / The Little Nell · Aspen · Fine Dining
The Little Nell's wine program is the real deal — one of the deepest cellars you'll find anywhere in the mountain West, staffed by people who actually know what they're talking about. The markups will sting and there's no bargain-hunter's night to soften the blow, but if you're eating here, you already knew what you signed up for.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Mount Joy / Greater Lancaster Region · Lancaster · Fine Dining
Cameron Estate Inn is a genuinely lovely place to have dinner, but the wine program is on autopilot — steep markups on recognizable, uninspiring labels with no corkage deal or local wine angle to redeem it. Order a cocktail or commit to the Moët, and spend your wine energy somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · El Paso · Fine Dining
Cafe Central is running a world-class wine program in a city that most wine people wouldn't put on their radar — and the pricing is fair enough that you can actually drink at the level this list deserves. If you're passing through El Paso, this is a genuine destination worth building a trip around.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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