A bottle shop that actually wants you to drink
Encinitas · San Diego · Wine bar and bistro with contemporary American and European-influenced dishes · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed June 21, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The Third Corner Wine Shop & Bistro – Encinitas’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into The Third Corner Encinitas feels less like a restaurant and more like someone's really well-curated wine cellar that also happens to serve moules frites. The shelves of bottles aren't decoration — they're the actual list, and you can grab almost anything off them for a corkage fee. It's a concept that sounds gimmicky until you realize it completely works.
We're talking 800 to 1,000 bottles spanning California, France, Italy, Spain, and beyond — a range that would be impressive for a dedicated wine bar, let alone a bistro on the Coast Highway. California heavyweights like Belle Glos, Jordan, and Orin Swift anchor the domestic side, while boutique Champagne producers and European imports keep things interesting for anyone tired of the usual suspects. The list skews toward crowd-pleasing labels, but there's genuine depth here if you look past the first page. The main gap is a thinner presence of natural and low-intervention wines, which feels like a missed opportunity given the coastal SoCal crowd.
The by-the-glass program runs 20 to 35 options at any given time, rotating out of the retail inventory — which means you're not stuck with the same tired pours every visit. Prices run $10 to $18 a glass, reasonable for what's on offer. It's one of the more dynamic glass programs in the area precisely because the list isn't static.
Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 (Paso Robles) — $86
At 43% over retail, this is the tightest markup on the list. Austin Hope is a legitimate Paso Cab — rich, structured, and built to impress — and at $86 you're getting it at what amounts to a gentle restaurant premium rather than the usual shakedown.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (Alexander Valley)
Jordan doesn't get the hype it deserves from the Instagram wine crowd because it's not flashy or niche. What it is: a beautifully composed Alexander Valley Cab with real age-ability and a track record going back decades. At $110 on the list, most tables reach for something bolder or newer and miss it entirely. Don't be that table.
Orin Swift 'Abstract' Red Blend 2021 (California)
Abstract is everywhere, everyone knows it, and at $70 on the list versus $40 at retail, you're paying a 75% markup for a label that's basically become the Ugg boot of California red blends. It's not bad wine — it's just not worth that delta when better values are sitting right next to it.
Belle Glos 'Clark & Telephone' Pinot Noir 2021 (Santa Maria Valley) + Moules frites
Clark & Telephone is a big, fruit-forward Santa Maria Pinot with enough acidity to cut through a bowl of briny mussels without overwhelming them. The wine's coastal origins and the dish's coastal soul make this feel like it was planned. It wasn't, which makes it better.
The Bottom Line
The Third Corner Encinitas is the rare wine shop hybrid that delivers on its own premise — a serious, deep list at markups that won't make you wince, served by people who actually know what they're talking about. Send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation.
· San Diego · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão San Diego isn't trying to win a wine award, and it doesn't need to — the mission is keeping 300 people happy while gauchos walk around with swords of meat. What they've built is a functional, fairly priced by-the-glass program with enough South American character to feel intentional. If you're here for the churrasco, order the Catena Catena Malbec at $13/glass and call it a win.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Active Program
Acceptable
· San Diego · Steakhouse
Six wines at a chophouse is a wine program in name only. The Bordeaux-leaning selections suggest someone has taste, but with no pricing, no confirmed glass pours, and a list that could fit on a cocktail napkin, there's not enough here to send a friend for the wine experience. Order your steak, pick whatever red sounds least risky, and manage your expectations accordingly.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · Italian
An 'enoteca' with five wines is a bit like a steakhouse with one cut. The Italian-focused selection is at least on-theme, and the Aglianico shows someone made at least one interesting call — but five bottles, no whites, and no visible by-the-glass program is hard to defend under any concept, let alone this one. If wine matters to your night out, look elsewhere in San Diego.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · New American
Grant Grill is hotel wine — competent, crowd-pleasing, and priced accordingly. The sparkling selection punches above its weight, and the Maury Rancio is a genuine curveball worth ordering if you see it. If you're a serious wine drinker, manage expectations; if you just want a solid glass with dinner in a beautiful room, you'll be fine.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Village · San Diego · Charcuterie and Wine Bar
Le Charcuterie Bar earns its Wild Card badge not because the wine list is a known quantity — it isn't, at least not to us yet — but because the concept is doing something right in a city that doesn't lack for wine options. A charcuterie-first wine bar with a genuine neighborhood feel and an events calendar is exactly the kind of place that can quietly become someone's favorite. Get in there, ask questions, and report back.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
San Diego · San Diego · Wine bar + global small plates
WetStone is doing something genuinely uncommon — building a short, globe-spanning list full of grapes and regions that most wine bars won't touch, and pricing it fairly enough that you can actually explore. Staff confidence is an unknown variable, and the lack of documented specials or events means you're mostly on your own to navigate it. But if you show up curious and willing to ask questions, this list will reward you.
Deep & Eclectic
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.
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