Grocery store wine aisle went to college
· Glendale · Market / Bottle Shop with Food · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed September 4, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed AJ's Fine Foods’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into a grocery store and finding Pieropan Soave Classico and Cantina di Venosa Malvasia on the shelf for under fifteen bucks is the kind of thing that makes you do a double take. AJ's isn't a restaurant in the traditional sense — it's a market — but their curated wine section plays well above its weight class. This is not the Kendall-Jackson-and-call-it-a-day situation you're expecting.
The 41-label list skews heavily white and sparkling, which makes sense for a Phoenix-area market where people are sweating nine months out of the year. What impresses us is the geographic range: you've got Sicilian Grillo, Greek Moschofilero, Abruzzo Pecorino, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Bordeaux Blanc, and a Viognier from the Rhône alongside the expected Pinot Grigio crowd-pleasers. Gruet Blanc de Noirs from New Mexico adds a local-ish sparkling option that most bottle shops overlook. The gaps are real — reds are conspicuously absent from what's listed here, and by-the-glass options are unclear — but for a market wine program, this is genuinely interesting curation.
AJ's is a bottle shop format, so by-the-glass service isn't really the point here — you're buying to take home or crack open nearby. Without confirmed pour options, we can't score the glass program, but at these prices, buying a bottle feels like what most restaurants would charge you for two glasses anyway.
Pieropan Soave Classico 2023 — $14.99
Pieropan is one of the benchmark producers in Soave — this isn't a bulk wine with a pretty label, it's the real deal from a family that's been making Garganega-based whites for over a century. Finding it at $14.99 in a grocery store is legitimately exciting.
Jasci Pecorino 2023
Most shoppers walk right past Abruzzo Pecorino because they've never heard of it, which is exactly why you should grab it. Bright, textured, and distinctly Italian in the best way — this is the bottle that makes you look like you actually know what you're doing.
Slingshot Sauvignon Blanc 2022
At $14.99 it's the priciest Sauvignon Blanc on the shelf and faces stiff competition from the Leefield Station and Marlborough Estate Reserve right next to it. Slingshot is fine, but in this context it's the least interesting choice at the top of the price range.
Zacharias Moschofilero 2023 + Deli antipasto platter
Moschofilero has this floral, slightly spritzy energy that cuts through cured meats and olives like it was born for the job. Grab the wine off the shelf, hit the deli counter, and you've got a better setup than most actual restaurants in town.
The Bottom Line
AJ's is not a restaurant, but if you're eating in the Glendale area and want to drink well on the cheap, their wine section punches hard for a market format. The selection is thoughtful, the prices are genuinely fair, and finding Pieropan next to the prepared foods is the kind of pleasant surprise that makes us want to keep coming back.
· Glendale · Mexican
Barrio Queen Glendale is a margarita destination that happens to have a wine list as a formality. If you're coming for wine, recalibrate — order a cocktail, enjoy the food, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that returns the favor.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Glendale · American breakfast and lunch
The Place is clearly here for the breakfast plates, not the wine program — and there's nothing wrong with that. If you need a glass of something bubbly with your brunch, the Val D'Oca Prosecco will do the job. But don't come here expecting a wine experience; come here expecting eggs.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Glendale · Italian and wine bar
Dolce Vino earns a Wild Card badge not for a documented deep cellar, but for being the kind of owner-run, food-forward wine bar that punches well above its strip mall address. Pricing on food runs $20–$32 for entrees, and the overall vibe suggests a kitchen and front-of-house that actually cares. We'd send a friend here for a low-key date night with the clear instruction: ask the staff what to drink, order the Osso Buco, and let the room do its thing.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Glendale · Italian, pizza, and seafood
Pizzicata is doing more with its wine list than the format demands, and the Italian-focused selection with fair pricing makes it a genuinely good option when you want something better than house red with your pizza. The Mazzei and the Nebbiolo alone put this list ahead of most competitors in the neighborhood. Send a friend here if they want honest Italian wine without the markup headache.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Glendale · Prime steakhouse
Fleming's Glendale is a reliable steakhouse wine program that earns its keep on the strength of an unusually deep by-the-glass selection and a few smart international picks. Pricing is on the steeper side across the board — this is a chain steakhouse, so no surprises there — but if you know where to look (start with the Loosen Bros.), you can drink well without regret. Send a friend here if they want options; just don't expect to be surprised.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Glendale · Italian
Lil' Capo isn't a wine destination — it's a pizza destination with wine available, which is exactly what it should be. If you're grabbing a pie before a Westgate event and want something in a glass that won't embarrass the food, the Italian-leaning list does its job without asking too much of you or your wallet.
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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