Solid Italian anchor in a wine desert
South Lubbock · Lubbock · Upscale Italian with New York–influenced fare · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 24, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Stella's arrives looking ambitious for Lubbock — Italian-leaning, organized by style, with a price range that suggests someone put real thought into it. It's not a throwaway clipboard list. But dig past the first page and you start noticing the same familiar faces that show up everywhere: Santa Margherita, Moët, Dona Paula.
The Italian thread runs through the whole list, which is the right call for this kitchen — you've got Banfi's 'San Angelo' Pinot Grigio from Tuscany, Col di Sasso's Sangiovese-Cab blend, and the Banfi Centine Rosso giving the list some regional coherence. The standout local nod is McPherson Cellars, a Texas producer worth knowing, and it earns its place here. That said, the red wine depth is where the list shows its limits — there's no real Barolo, no Chianti Classico Riserva, nothing that makes an Italian-focused restaurant feel like it's swinging for the fences. King Estate Pinot Gris from Willamette Valley is a pleasant surprise in an otherwise coast-to-coast-generic white wine section.
Roughly 15–20 options by the glass is generous for a market like Lubbock, and the $8–$15 price range keeps things accessible. Pours come in 6oz and 9oz options, which is a nice touch that lets you work through the list without committing to a bottle. The rotation appears static — no evidence of a regularly changing by-the-glass program.
King Estate Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley — $13/glass
King Estate is a serious Oregon producer making textured, food-friendly Pinot Gris that punches above its price point. On a list heavy with Italian Pinot Grigio, this is the more interesting pour at roughly the same price.
McPherson Cellars
Most diners at Stella's will default to something Italian or Californian without noticing there's a Texas wine on the list. McPherson Cellars out of Lubbock is a legitimate producer — not a novelty pour — and ordering it here feels right in a way that it wouldn't at most restaurants.
Avissi Prosecco
At $45 a bottle — nearly 4x retail on an $11 supermarket Prosecco — this is the worst value on the list. If you want bubbles, the Saracco Moscato d'Asti is a more interesting pour. If you want Champagne, just go for the Moët and know what you're paying for.
Col di Sasso Sangiovese/Cabernet, Tuscany + Handmade pasta with red sauce
Col di Sasso's Sangiovese backbone was made for tomato-based dishes — the acidity cuts through richness and the Italian grape profile stays in the lane of whatever's coming out of the pasta kitchen. It's not a complicated pairing, but it's the right one.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Stella's is doing more than most Lubbock restaurants bother to do with wine, and the Italian-focused list makes sense for the food. The markups keep it from being a destination for wine drinkers, but as a neighborhood anchor with a solid by-the-glass program and a local Texas pour on the list, it earns its keep.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.