Montecito's Italian Night Out, Backed by Local Vines
Montecito · Santa Barbara · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 11, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Tre Lune’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Tre Lune opens with a clear sense of identity — Italian through and through, with a nod to the Santa Barbara County backyard. Wine Spectator has flagged this list before, and you can see why: it's curated with intention, not just assembled. It feels like someone actually thought about what you'd want to drink with housemade pasta on a warm Montecito evening.
The backbone is Italian, leaning into the regions that make sense alongside the kitchen — expect Tuscany, Piedmont, and the boot's familiar cast of characters doing their thing. What's genuinely interesting is the house-labeled collaboration with Margerum, one of Santa Barbara County's more respected producers, giving the list a local anchor that most Italian trattorias never bother with. The list runs 80-150 bottles deep, which is enough range to keep a wine-curious table busy without becoming overwhelming. Gaps in the data make it hard to call out specific Italian producers by name, but the breadth signals a kitchen and front-of-house that take their wine program seriously.
Somewhere between 12 and 20 pours by the glass, which is a healthy spread for a neighborhood trattoria. The house Margerum labels anchor the by-the-glass program with local credibility — the Tre Lune Rosé at $14 is an easy entry point, and the Tre Angeli Pinot Noir at $21 a glass is where things get interesting. Rotation isn't confirmed, but the program feels stable rather than dynamic.
2020 Rosé 'Tre Lune' – Margerum, Santa Barbara County — $14/glass, $56/bottle
A house-labeled wine from a producer who knows Santa Barbara's terrain cold. At $14 a glass, it's a crowd-pleasing pour that actually reflects where you are, not just what sells. The bottle price holds up too — no reason to feel squeezed here.
2020 Pinot Noir 'Tre Angeli' – Margerum, Sta. Rita Hills
Estate-grown Sta. Rita Hills Pinot for $21 a glass sounds like a splurge until you remember what Sta. Rita Hills Pinot can do — cooler climate, more tension, less jam. Most tables will default to something Italian and miss this entirely. Don't be that table.
Generic Italian house pours
Without specific data on the lower-tier Italian pours, the risk is landing on something forgettable when the Margerum options are sitting right there for comparable or better value. If the server can't tell you where a wine is from or who made it, push past it and go Margerum.
2020 Pinot Noir 'Tre Angeli' – Margerum, Sta. Rita Hills + Osso buco
Sta. Rita Hills Pinot brings enough structure and red-fruit brightness to stand up to braised veal shank without overwhelming the dish's delicate saffron and gremolata notes. It's the kind of pairing that makes you look smarter than you actually are.
The Bottom Line
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.
Funk Zone · Santa Barbara · Mediterranean-Influenced New American
Blackbird has the bones of a wine program worth your attention — sommelier-led, regionally grounded in Santa Barbara County, and sitting inside a hotel that clearly invested in the dining experience. The catch is that hotel adjacency typically means markups that outpace the neighborhood, so go in with your eyes open and ask your server to point you toward the local producers. We'd send a friend here for a polished night out, with the caveat to let the staff guide you rather than defaulting to the familiar names on the list.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· 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
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Italian
An Italian list dated 06.17.26 with 18 glass pours at 15 to 19 and full bottles from 60 to 970. Start with the Barbera d’Alba La Gemella at 15 a glass, or the Fontanavecchia Aglianico del Taburno from the chef’s Campania hometown at 17, and confirm prices because the list says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
West Hollywood · Los Angeles · Italian
A big-ticket Italian and Napa list with a genuine glass section: 14 wines by the glass from $15 to $85, then 89 bottles from $55 to $3,000. Start with the Prunotto Barolo at $30 a glass, or the Guidalberto at $145 if you want a Bolgheri bottle, and confirm prices because the page is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks page, not service, storage or markups.
Coral Gables · Miami · Italian
An Italy-first list built around Piedmont and Tuscany, with a four-vintage Burlotto Barolo vertical, three vintages of Sassicaia and a 16-bottle Brunello section plus special-vintage Brunellos. Start with a Coravin pour or a quartino, then ask for bottle prices, because this version of the list posts none and carries no printed date. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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