California Classics, Cold Beer Weather, Hot Steaks
Glendale · Glendale · Steak house · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 10, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Arrowhead Grill’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Arrowhead Grill reads like a greatest hits of California Cabernet — Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Stag's Leap all present and accounted for. It's a steakhouse list built for people who already know what they want, and it delivers exactly that without apology. Wine Spectator has been handing this place an Award of Excellence since 2014, and you can see why: it's consistent, curated, and California-forward.
The 150-250 bottle list leans hard into Napa and Sonoma, which makes sense when your menu anchors around filet mignon and double-cut pork chops. You'll find the expected heavyweights — Beringer Private Reserve, Far Niente, Duckhorn, Rombauer — all doing exactly what they're supposed to do. Don't come looking for Burgundy rabbit holes or natural wine tangents; this list isn't trying to surprise you. What it lacks in range it compensates for with depth in the California category, which is honestly what most people eating here want.
With 12-20 pours available by the glass, there's enough to work with before you commit to a bottle. The range skews predictably toward California Chardonnay and Cabernet, which fits the room. Wednesday's half-price wine night is a genuine win — that's when the glass program becomes legitimately exciting.
Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cépages 2020 — $68
A Sonoma Bordeaux-style blend that regularly punches above its price class — it's the one bottle on this list that feels like a real find rather than a reflex order.
Jordan Vineyard & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
Everyone's reaching for Caymus and Silver Oak, but Jordan is the understated choice — more elegant, more food-friendly with the steak, and often overlooked precisely because it doesn't have the same name-drop cachet.
Rombauer Chardonnay 2022
At $92 a bottle, you're paying a serious premium for one of the most heavily marked-up Chardonnays in the country. Rombauer retails around $35-40 — the math here is brutal. Order it on a Wednesday or skip it entirely.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon + Filet mignon
Stag's Leap is silkier and more restrained than the Napa bruisers on this list, which means it doesn't steamroll the filet — it lifts it. The tannin structure handles the fat, the dark fruit mirrors the char, and you end up with a pairing that feels like it was actually thought through.
Wednesday — Half-price wine night every Wednesday — applies to wine list selections and makes the by-the-glass program genuinely worth exploring.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Arrowhead Grill isn't trying to be a wine destination — it's a solid Arizona steakhouse with a California-centric list that does its job without drama. Come for the Wednesday half-price wine night, order the Jordan over the Caymus, and you'll leave happy.
VAI Resort · Glendale · Rooftop Bar / Small Plates
Amara Rooftop is a place you go for the view and a cocktail — the wine list is an afterthought dressed up in a resort price tag. If wine is your thing, drink something fun downstairs and come up here for the sunset.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
VAI Resort · Glendale · Mediterranean / New American
Cala isn't where you go to have your wine mind blown, but it's a competent, Mediterranean-focused list with enough range to drink well through dinner — and the Tignanello alone is reason enough to look past the resort pricing tax. Send a friend here knowing they'll be fine; just steer them away from the Santa Margherita.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Westgate Entertainment District · Glendale · American gastropub / bar & grill
Bar Louie Westgate is a perfectly fine place to drink beer and watch a game — the wine list is an afterthought and everyone involved seems to know it. If wine is your thing, order a cocktail and come back to the wine conversation at a different restaurant.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Westgate Entertainment District · Glendale · Japanese & Sushi
Kabuki Westgate is a fun spot for sushi and cocktails on a Cardinals game night — just don't come for the wine list. Order a sake flight instead and save yourself the markup.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Glendale · Glendale · Pizza, American Gastropub
Desert Rose is a genuinely fun neighborhood spot with a patio worth sitting on — just don't come here for the wine list. Order a craft beer or a cocktail, enjoy the pizza, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that earned it.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Arrowhead Ranch / Union Hills · Glendale · Wine Bar
Turquoise Wine Bar is the kind of place that earns its Wild Card badge honestly — not by being weird for weird's sake, but by curating a genuinely curious list in a zip code that didn't ask for one. Send your wine-curious friends here; they'll leave with something new to talk about.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Capitol Square · Madison · Steak house
Rare is a reliable wine destination for Napa devotees visiting Madison — the list is familiar by design, the WS Award of Excellence is well-earned, and the setting delivers. Just don't come here looking for natural wine or anything that strays from the California playbook.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Brookfield · Brookfield · Steak house
Mr. B's is a reliable, well-kept steakhouse wine list that knows its audience and serves them well — just don't expect any surprises. If you're a California Cab loyalist heading out for a serious steak dinner in the Milwaukee suburbs, this is your spot.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
West Loop · Chicago · Steak house
BLVD Steakhouse doesn't reinvent the steakhouse wine list, but it executes the formula competently — solid producers, proper storage, and enough range to keep a table of Cab loyalists happy all night. Just go in with your eyes open on the markups and skip the trophy-bottle trap.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
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