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 ↗
Reviewed June 21, 2026
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.
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