Desert Views, Serious Bottles, Resort Prices
McDowell Mountains · Scottsdale · Southwestern-Influenced American · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed March 16, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Adero Scottsdale’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Cielo — Adero's rooftop restaurant — arrives with the confidence of a place that knows its clientele has expense accounts and a view to match. It's globally minded without being scattered, leaning hard into Napa and Italy with some respectable international detours. At 150+ labels, it's not trying to be a wine bar, but it's clearly not phoning it in either.
The backbone here is classic: Napa Cabernet, Super Tuscans, Rhône, and Barossa Shiraz make up most of the heavy lifting, and they do it well. You've got Sassicaia, Tignanello, and Torbreck Runrig sitting alongside Caymus and Silverado — it's a list that reads like a greatest-hits compilation for someone who knows what they like and wants reassurance. The Ao Yun from Yunnan, China is the one genuine curveball — a rare, high-altitude Chinese Cabernet that most people walk right past. Gaps exist in natural wine and domestic alternatives outside California, but for a resort audience, this list delivers.
Glass pours run $14.50–$17, which is on the higher end of reasonable for a resort setting in Scottsdale. With 8+ options available, there's enough variety to find something interesting without committing to a bottle. We'd love to see more rotation or a broader range of styles by the glass — right now it skews predictable.
Silverado Estate Napa Valley 2018 — $68
In a list where Napa bottles climb quickly into triple digits, Silverado's estate Cabernet at $68 is a legitimate deal. It's a benchmark producer with real Stags Leap District terroir behind it — you're not settling, you're just not overpaying.
Ao Yun Yunnan 2015
Most tables at Adero will scroll past this one without a second look. That's a mistake. Ao Yun is a LVMH-backed project farming Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon at 2,200 meters in the Himalayas — it's genuinely one of the most distinctive bottles being made anywhere in the world right now, and seeing the 2015 vintage on a resort list in Scottsdale is legitimately surprising.
Caymus Napa Valley 2017 (1L)
At $175 for a one-liter bottle, Caymus is pulling its usual trick — trading on name recognition while the list markup does the rest. It's a fine, crowd-pleasing wine, but you can drink significantly better on this list for the same money or less.
Torbreck Runrig Barossa Shiraz 2018 + Dry-Aged Steak
Runrig is a full-throttle Barossa Shiraz with the density and dark fruit to go toe-to-toe with a heavily marbled, dry-aged cut. It's got the structure to handle the char and the weight to match the beef — this is exactly the pairing the list was built for.
The Bottom Line
Adero's wine program is doing more than the average resort — a sommelier on staff, a few genuinely interesting bottles, and a list that rewards the curious diner willing to look past the Caymus. Just know going in that the markup reflects the altitude of that McDowell Mountain view.
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Italian, Mediterranean
A short, Italian-leaning wine list with a note that the full list is available on request. Start with the Planeta Grillo at 12/40 or the Noussan Petit Arvine at 23/80, ask which number is the glass price, and confirm everything, since the files are linked with 2024 dates in their names. This unrated guide covers the posted wine PDF, not service, storage or markups.
Old Town · Scottsdale · Modern Latin
A 32-wine list that mixes 26 two-price pairs, like 11/39, with six single prices from 90 to 155. Start with the 11/39 Pinot Grigio, or the 15/53 Trimbach Pinot Blanc if you want the one Alsace wine, and ask what each number in a pair covers before you order. This unrated guide covers the posted Old Town wine list, not service, storage or markups.
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.
Old Town · Scottsdale · American Gastropub
A long wine list that mixes Arizona and California bottles with Italian, French and Spanish wines, posted as pairs like 14 / 44 and single prices like 86. Start with the 13 / 48 Les Hauts Plateaux Rosé, or the 101 Scythians Red if you want the one Cucamonga Valley wine, and ask what each number in a pair covers. The restaurant's menus page and its linked PDF differ on some wines, so confirm before you go. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
North Scottsdale · Scottsdale · American Brasserie
A California-led list with a real glass tier under the big Cabernet bottles: 20 wines carry labeled 6 oz, 9 oz and bottle prices, starting at $13. Start with the Thomas Schmitt Riesling Kabinett at $13 for 6 oz or the Massican Sauvignon Blanc at $18 for 6 oz, and confirm prices because the menu is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted beverage menu, not service, storage or markups.
North Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Prime Steakhouse
A producer-by-producer list with 43 glass pours from $10 to $45, most of them $19 or less. Start with the $18 Pascal Jolivet Sauvignon Blanc, or pair the Daou Vineyards Cabernet ($18 glass, $72 bottle) with the 35 oz Prime Tomahawk at $147, and ask which bottling is pouring. 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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