Tequila Town With a Decent Wine Backup
Downtown Tempe / Tempe Marketplace · Tempe · Modern Mexican · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 30, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Blanco is clearly the opening act, not the headliner — tequila and mezcal run this room and everyone knows it. That said, the list is short, legible, and doesn't try to be something it isn't. You scan it in about 45 seconds and move on with your life.
Twenty to thirty-five bottles, California-heavy, with some Argentina and Spain tossed in for geographic credibility. The producers here are grocery store regulars — Coppola, Kim Crawford, Meiomi — functional crowd-pleasers that no one is excited about but nobody actively complains about either. There's no real depth to explore, no interesting regional outliers, and no evidence that anyone curated this with particular intention. If you came hoping to find a Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero or a Malbec from a serious Mendoza producer, adjust expectations now.
Eight to twelve pours in the $10–$16 range keeps things accessible without being impressive. The rotation appears static — this is a set-and-forget program, not one that's swapping in seasonal finds or experimenting with anything outside the mainstream. For the price point and setting, it's fine; just don't expect anything that'll make you put your margarita down.
Coppola Rosso & Bianco — $32
At the lower end of the bottle range, the Coppola Rosso is a reliable California red that drinks easy alongside anything off the grill. Not exciting, but at $32 it's the least-bad value play on a list that skews steep for what you're getting.
Spanish Red (Spain Region Selection)
The Spain bottles on this list tend to get ignored in favor of California standbys, but a Spanish red — likely a Garnacha or Tempranillo-based pour — is going to handle the spice and richness of the Mexican kitchen better than Meiomi ever will. Worth asking what they've got from that region before defaulting to the usual.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
You're paying restaurant markup on a mass-market Pinot that retails for $15 at Total Wine. It's sweet, it's soft, and it's everywhere — there's no reason to spend $40-plus on it here when a margarita does more for the food and costs about the same.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc + Chicken Tinga Tacos
The bright citrus and grassy snap of Kim Crawford cuts through the smoky chipotle in the Tinga without fighting it. It's not a revelatory pairing, but it's the most coherent match on a list that doesn't give you a lot of precision tools to work with.
✔️ The Bottom Line
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.
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
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
South Tempe · Tempe · Wine Bar / Mediterranean Small Plates
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.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Stonebriar · Frisco · Modern Mexican
Order a margarita. Seriously, order a margarita. If someone at the table insists on wine, point them toward the Louis M. Martini and move on — this list exists to check a box, not to enhance your meal.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Las Colinas · Irving · Modern Mexican
Come for the mezcal and the tableside guacamole — Mesa Mezcal genuinely earns its name on the spirits side. But the wine list is an afterthought priced like a priority, and there's no reason to pay hotel markup on mass-market bottles when a margarita will serve you better.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Campus Commons / University Village · Sacramento · Modern Mexican
Zócalo UV earns its Wild Card badge on the strength of a few genuinely interesting Mexican bottles doing quiet work on an otherwise predictable list. Skip the Caymus, order the Bruma, and let the tacos do the rest.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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