Spain's Greatest Hits, Orange County's Best Secret
South Coast Metro · Santa Ana · Modern Spanish Tapas and Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Vaca’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You're in Costa Mesa, next to a performing arts center, surrounded by pre-show diners — and somehow the wine list is a love letter to the Iberian Peninsula done right. Vaca's list hits differently than anything else in Orange County. This isn't a Spanish restaurant that grabbed a few Riojas to check a box; this is a program with a point of view.
The Spain-first focus is serious and specific — we're talking a list estimated at 300 to 500 selections that digs deep into regions most OC diners couldn't find on a map. Rioja and Ribera del Duero are well represented, but the list earns its reputation by going further: expect Priorat, Galicia, and serious sherry selections that Vaca has been recognized for by the Sherry Wine Regulatory Council. The producers are the real deal — Miguel Torres, one of Spain's most important winemaking families, gets featured in dedicated wine dinners here, which tells you where the restaurant's priorities are. The gap, if there is one, is that guests unfamiliar with Spanish wine may need a nudge from staff to navigate it confidently.
With an estimated 15 to 25 pours running $14 to $28 a glass, the BTG program is one of the stronger ones in the county. The range should cover everything from crisp Albariño for the ceviche crowd to structured Tempranillo for the dry-aged steak table. Rotation and curation appear to track the kitchen's seasonal direction, though a more aggressive glass program would push this into Rager territory.
1994 Rioja Gran Reserva — $98
A nearly 30-year-old Gran Reserva at $98, with retail comps around $60, is as close to fair as aged Spanish wine gets in a restaurant. You're paying for the storage, the service, and the experience of drinking a wine that's already done the hard work for you.
Sherry Program Selections
Vaca has been formally recognized by the Sherry Wine Regulatory Council as a top sherry destination — that's not a marketing claim, it's a certification. Most tables walk right past the sherry section; don't be most tables. Order a glass with the charcuterie and reassess your entire relationship with Spanish wine.
Generic Tempranillo (house-tier)
At $60 on a list with real depth, a no-name Tempranillo with no producer or vintage attribution is a lazy order. The markup math works out fine on paper, but you're leaving too much upside on the table when the bottles around it are far more interesting for similar or only slightly higher prices.
1994 Rioja Gran Reserva + Dry-Aged Steak
Gran Reserva Rioja — earthy, brick-red, with that signature dried cherry and leather character — is one of the few wines that can hold its ground against a heavily aged, intensely flavored steak without trying to outmuscle it. This is the pairing the list was built for.
The Bottom Line
Vaca is the best Spanish wine list in Orange County and it isn't particularly close — a sommelier-driven program with real range, fair pricing on serious bottles, and a sherry selection that alone justifies the trip. Send your friends here, especially the ones who think they don't like Spanish wine.
Santa Ana · Santa Ana · Italian Fine Dining
An Italian fine dining room with an Enoteca in its name serving five all-California wines and one glass pour is a contradiction we can't talk our way around. Skip the wine, order a Negroni, and hope the food earns the room's ambitions.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Santa Ana · Santa Ana · Wine Bar / Bistro
Robbin's Nest is exactly what a downtown wine bar should be — approachable, geographically curious, and clearly run by people who aren't just going through the motions. If you're in Santa Ana and want a real glass of wine without the pretense, this is your spot.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Coast Metro · Santa Ana · New American / Tasting Menu
Old Vine is the rare suburban restaurant where the wine list feels like a genuine priority, not an afterthought. If you're in the South Coast Metro area and want a bottle that required someone to think about it, this is your spot.
Solid Range
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
· Santa Ana · New American / Wine Bar
Darkroom is punching well above its weight class for a 14-bottle program — the selection is sharp, the pricing is honest, and the list has a clear point of view. Send a wine-curious friend here and tell them to ask for the Riesling.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
John Wayne Airport – Terminal B · Santa Ana · Wine Bar
Vino Volo clears the airport bar bar by a comfortable margin — better-than-expected service, a list that at least tries, and a seat that makes a delay feel like less of a punishment. Just don't look too hard at the markup and you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Santa Ana / Floral Park-adjacent · Santa Ana · Italian (Tuscan/Florentine-focused)
Baci di Firenze isn't building a wine destination — it's building a neighborhood restaurant that happens to have the right Italian bottles for its Italian food, at prices that won't make you wince. Send a friend here for a low-key date night and tell them to order the Vernaccia.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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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