Euro-chic vibes, solid pours, Tempe's best escape
South Tempe · Tempe · Wine Bar / Mediterranean Small Plates · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 29, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Bar Capri’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Bar Capri lands in South Tempe like a postcard from the Amalfi Coast — the list is short but it knows what it's doing. Thirty-two labels isn't a deep cellar, but the selections feel intentional, not accidental. You're not here to geek out on obscure growers; you're here to drink something good with a cheese board and forget it's 105 degrees outside.
The list leans Italian and Californian with a French accent — a reasonable triangle for a Mediterranean-themed bar. Italy shows up with the Livio Felluga Sauvignon and the Virna Borgono Barolo 2021 'Noi,' while California contributes the Sea Sun Chardonnay from Caymus and the ZD Cab. Champagne gets real respect here: both Taittinger 'La Francaise' and Veuve Clicquot 'Yellow Label' are on the card, which is more than most wine bars in this price range bother with. The gaps are real — no Spanish coverage, no skin-contact wines, and the by-the-glass list could stand to venture further from the obvious — but for a 32-label list, the curation holds up.
Twelve to eighteen pours by the glass is genuinely impressive for a list this size, and the range runs from approachable (Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio 2024) to aspirational (Stoller Pinot Noir 2023). At $13–$22 a glass, you're paying fair market for the quality level. The happy hour deal — $3 off per glass Tuesday through Friday before 6pm — is the move if you can get there early.
Pasta Night Bottle: Any bottle $45 or under (Tuesday–Wednesday) — $35
The Tuesday–Wednesday Pasta Night deal bundles any pasta dish with a bottle priced $45 or under for a flat $35 all day. That's effectively a free pasta, which is the kind of math we love. Grab the Stoller Pinot Noir if it falls in range.
Virna Borgono Barolo 2021 'Noi'
Most people at a wine bar in Tempe are ordering rosé or Pinot Grigio — which means the Barolo just sits there, underordered and patient. The 2021 vintage from Borgono is drinking well for a young Barolo, and it's the kind of bottle that makes a charcuterie board feel like a proper meal.
Whispering Angel Still Rosé 2023
Whispering Angel is everywhere, and the markup that follows it everywhere means you're paying heavily for the label recognition. At a place with this much Champagne on offer, your money works harder elsewhere.
Livio Felluga Sauvignon + Charcuterie and Cheese Board
Felluga's Sauvignon from Friuli has enough herbaceous bite and acidity to cut through fatty cured meats and hold its own against assertive cheeses. It's a classic Northern Italian pairing that makes sense here and doesn't require any convincing.
Tuesday–Friday (Happy Hour) & Tuesday–Wednesday (Pasta Night) — Happy Hour Tue–Fri, open until 6pm: $3 off any glass of wine. Pasta Night Tue–Wed all day: any pasta + any bottle priced $45 or under for $35 total.
The Bottom Line
Bar Capri isn't trying to be a destination wine program — it's trying to be a really good neighborhood wine bar, and it mostly nails that. The Pasta Night deal alone is worth bookmarking, and the Barolo on a short list is the kind of detail that tells you someone cares.
South Tempe · Tempe · American / Neighborhood Bistro
The Hudson is a fine place to eat a burger and drink a beer, but the wine list is on autopilot — familiar labels, steep markups outside of Wednesday's deal, and no evidence that anyone on staff is losing sleep over it. Send a friend here for the food, tell them to drink a cocktail.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Novus / ASU Campus District · Tempe · American Burger & Craft Bar
Eureka! Tempe is a craft beer bar first, a burger spot second, and a wine destination never. Order a local draft, enjoy your Truffle Cheese Fries, and save the wine for a place that's actually trying.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Tempe / Tempe Marketplace · Tempe · Modern Mexican
Blanco is a tequila bar that serves wine as a courtesy, and the list reflects exactly that level of commitment. Come for the cocktails and the Short Rib Machaca Enchiladas — if you want wine, order the bottle with the lowest markup and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
The Buttes / West Tempe · Tempe · Steakhouse-Lean New American
Top of the Rock is a safe, predictable wine list dressed up in a genuinely spectacular setting — you're paying a resort premium for Napa's greatest hits, and the view is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Send a friend here for the scenery and the steak, but tell them to pick their bottle carefully.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
The Buttes / West Tempe · Tempe · Lounge / New American
Top of the Rock is a perfectly acceptable place to drink wine if the sunset and the occasion are doing the work — just don't expect the list to surprise you or the prices to be anything but hotel-steep. Order the Brunello or the Penner-Ash, enjoy the view, and let it be what it is.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Mill Avenue · Tempe · Cocktail Bar
Filthy Animal is the last place you'd expect to find a real wine list, which is precisely what makes it a Wild Card — the selection punches above the bar's party-school energy, and if you know what to order, you can drink well while everyone else is doing kamikazes. Just don't come here for the value; come for the vibe and the pleasant surprise.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
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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