3,500 Bottles Deep in Wine Country Paradise
Montecito · Santa Barbara · Californian · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 5, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Stonehouse’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at The Stonehouse lands on the table with the quiet confidence of a place that's held a Wine Spectator Grand Award since 2014 — and has no reason to prove anything to anyone. Nearly 3,500 selections across Burgundy, California, Rhône, Italy, and France, tucked inside a creekside stone house with a wood-burning fireplace. The room earns the list.
This is a serious cellar. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Domaine Leroy anchor an exceptional Burgundy section, with Domaine Ramonet and Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé filling out the depth you'd expect at this level. California gets equal billing — Screaming Eagle, Harlan Estate, Sine Qua Non, Kistler, and Marcassin represent the serious end, while Ridge Monte Bello and Au Bon Climat bring intellectual weight to the domestic side. The Rhône is no afterthought either: Domaine Jean-Louis Chave and Château Rayas are the kind of names that make wine nerds audibly exhale. Gaps are hard to find, though the sticker prices on the blue-chip stuff will make you feel them in your chest.
With 20 to 30 pours on rotation, the by-the-glass program punches well above what most California resort restaurants bother with. Expect solid representation across styles and regions rather than the usual Napa Cab plus two whites formula. The sommelier team — Jennifer Pyle, Michael Bremser, and Micah Espudo — actively manages this section, so it's worth asking what's open rather than just reading the menu.
Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir — $60
In a list full of four-figure bottles, Au Bon Climat is the honest local hero — Santa Barbara-grown Pinot from one of the Central Coast's most respected producers. At the entry price point, it's the clearest path to drinking well without financing a mortgage.
Ridge Monte Bello
Most tables here are chasing DRC or Harlan, which means Monte Bello sometimes gets overlooked. That's a mistake. This is one of the most age-worthy Cabernet-based blends made in California, with decades of track record and a fraction of the cultural noise around Napa cult wines. Order it with intention.
Phelps Insignia
A great wine, full stop — but Insignia is widely distributed, appears on nearly every upscale California list, and carries a markup that reflects its trophy status more than the actual contents of the bottle. You can do better on this list for the same spend.
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage + Steak Diane
Chave's Hermitage is Syrah at its most serious — savory, structured, with that Northern Rhône iron-and-olive backbone. The Steak Diane's pan sauce, brandy, and cream meet that structure head-on without either element backing down. This is the pairing you come back to tell people about.
The Bottom Line
The Stonehouse is the real deal — a Grand Award list in a setting that actually matches the ambition, with a sommelier team that knows every bottle in the cellar. Prices are high across the board, but for a special occasion in Santa Barbara, there's nowhere else to be.
· Santa Barbara · Wine Bar / Small Plates
Villa Wine Bar runs a focused, well-priced list built around Santa Barbara County producers who actually deserve the spotlight — Beckmen, Babcock, Storm, and Alma Rosa are all doing real work. The by-the-glass program is nearly comprehensive, the bottle prices are fair, and the regional identity is clear. If you're in Santa Barbara and want to drink local without getting gouged, this is a reliable call.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Funk Zone · Santa Barbara · Wine Bar / Tasting Room with Food Options
If you're passing through the Funk Zone and want to actually understand what Santa Barbara wine country is about, this is a better use of an hour than most tasting rooms you'll pay more to visit. It's not a deep-list destination, but as a regional introduction it punches well above its square footage.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Santa Maria Valley · Santa Barbara · Winery Tasting Room / Charcuterie
Presqu'ile is the rare tasting room that feels like a destination rather than a sales pitch — the Aligoté and Gamay alone tell you this team is thinking beyond the obvious, and the pricing won't make you wince. If you're driving through Santa Maria Valley and you skip this, you made a mistake.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara · Wine Bar / Tasting Room
This is a focused, confident single-producer tasting room that earns its Wild Card badge by going deep on Rhône varieties and aromatic whites in a market that usually just wants Pinot and Chardonnay. If you're staying at Hotel Californian or exploring downtown Santa Barbara, skipping this would be a mistake.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Santa Barbara · Seafood / Coastal Californian
SeaVenture's wine list won't blow any minds, but it's priced fairly, leans into the right regional story, and gives you everything by the glass — which is exactly what a seafood spot on the California coast should do. Send a friend here knowing they'll drink well without getting gouged.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Riviera · Santa Barbara · Steakhouse / Hotel Fine Dining
The Dining Room at El Encanto is a genuinely good wine experience wrapped in resort pricing — you're paying for the hillside terrace and the white-glove service as much as what's in your glass. If someone else is buying or it's a real occasion, lean into the Santa Barbara selections and let the sommelier guide you; they know this list.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Monterey · Carmel By The Sea · Californian
Montrio is the rare restaurant where the wine list earns the same respect as the kitchen — regionally focused, fairly priced, and backed by staff who can actually help you navigate it. Add Tuesday's half-price bottle promotion and you've got one of the better wine nights on the Central Coast.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
Sixth & Mission · Carmel By The Sea · Californian
Grasing's doesn't have the deepest list on the Monterey Peninsula, but the by-the-glass-everything model and genuinely fair pricing make it worth your time. Send a friend here if they want to drink well without being locked into a bottle.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Napa · Napa · Californian
Carpe Diem punches above its weight for a 12-bottle list, and Monday half-price night makes this one of the better deals in downtown Napa. Just watch the bottle markups on the bigger names — you're in wine country, not getting a discount for it.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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