Citrus Grove Hideout With a Serious Wine Brain
Red Mountain / NE Mesa · Mesa · New American with Italian-inspired dishes · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 22, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You don't expect to find Niepoort and Frédéric Esmonin tucked into a cozy bistro off a citrus grove in Mesa, Arizona — and yet here we are. The list is compact, maybe 30 bottles deep, but whoever built it was paying attention. This is not a wine list assembled by someone ticking boxes; it reads like a personal collection.
Board & Batten is fishing in waters most suburban Arizona restaurants don't even know exist. You've got Björnson Gamay from Oregon sitting next to Niepoort's 'Drink Me' Baga from Portugal, a Piccolomini Super Tuscan, and a Torbreck Sémillon from the Barossa — that's a genuinely interesting cross-section of the wine world. The Italian and French leanings make sense given the kitchen's direction, and the Spanish presence (Marqués de Riscal Verdejo, Scaia Rosé) rounds out the approachable end of the list without dumbing it down. The California presence is thin but intentional, and the Henri Perrusset Chardonnay from Mâcon is exactly the kind of pick that signals a curator who knows their Old World.
Ten options by the glass is a solid number for a room this size, with pricing running $12–$19 per pour and bottle or carafe equivalents listed so you can do the math yourself — which is a transparency move we respect. The range covers sparkling, white, rosé, and red with enough personality that you're not just choosing between 'red' and 'white.' Rotation frequency is unclear, but the current lineup punches well above the neighborhood average.
Henri Perrusset Chardonnay — $14/glass
Mâcon-Villages Chardonnay at this price point is a quiet steal — you're getting Burgundian terroir without the Burgundy markup, and it's the kind of wine that makes everyone at the table happy without anyone having to compromise.
Niepoort 'Drink Me' Baga
Baga from Portugal is one of the most underrated red grapes on earth — tannic, savory, and deeply interesting — and Niepoort is one of the producers doing it right. Most people at this restaurant will order the Cabernet. Don't be most people.
Obsidian Cabernet Sauvignon
Nothing wrong with it, but in a list this interesting, ordering the California Cab feels like going to a great taco spot and ordering a burger. Save this one for a restaurant that doesn't give you better options.
Piccolomini Super Tuscan blend + Short rib ragout pasta
A Super Tuscan's Sangiovese backbone and dark fruit grip is built for braised meat and pasta — the acidity cuts through the richness of the ragout and the savory depth in both the wine and the dish just reinforce each other.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Board & Batten is the kind of place wine-curious people in the East Valley have been quietly hoping would exist — a neighborhood bistro that actually thought about the list. We'd send a friend here without hesitation, especially one who thinks they don't like anything outside Napa.
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
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Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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