Euro-chic vibes, solid pours, Tempe's best escape
South Tempe · Tempe · Wine Bar / Mediterranean Small Plates · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 29, 2026
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.
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
South Tempe / Warner & Rural · Tempe · Modern Southwestern
Ghost Ranch is a reliable neighborhood option if you're here for the food and want a decent glass of something familiar to go alongside it. Don't come expecting a curated wine program — but don't skip the wine either; just order smart and keep expectations calibrated.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / ASU Campus · Tempe · Wine bar serving Italian- and Mediterranean-influenced cafe fare
Postino Annex isn't where you go to drink seriously — it's where you go to drink smartly, and there's a difference. With Monday-Tuesday bottle deals, markups that border on generous, and a by-the-glass list that earns its breadth, this is the rare casual spot where the wine program actually respects your wallet.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
The Buttes / West Tempe · Tempe · Upscale New American / Southwestern
Top of the Rock is a place you go for the view and the occasion, not the wine list — and the list knows it. If you're celebrating something and need a bottle, Jordan Cab and the setting will carry you through; just don't expect the wine program to pull its weight.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / ASU Campus · Tempe · Italian and Mediterranean-inspired contemporary American
Society Tempe isn't here to change how you think about wine — it's here to make sure you drink well while you eat pasta at 10pm on a Sunday, ideally at half price. Show up on Sunday, order the Chianti, skip the Cakebread, and you'll walk out happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Tempe · Tempe · American
A senior living community in Tempe earning a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and actually backing it up with California classics and legit Arizona producers is the kind of surprise we live for. If you're near ASU and sleeping on this list, wake up.
Solid Range
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.