Historic Mansion, Surprisingly Serious Sparkling Game
· Phoenix · Restaurant · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 6, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Opening a wine list at a 1930s hilltop mansion in Phoenix, you half-expect a parade of safe Napa Cabs and grocery-store Chardonnay. Christopher's surprises — the list skews heavily sparkling and shows genuine curatorial intent, from grower Champagne to a house-label Cava made under the Wrigley Mansion brand. It's not a long list, but someone clearly gave a damn putting it together.
Thirty-five labels that are also thirty-five by-the-glass options is an unusual structure — this is essentially an all-glass-pour program with no separate bottle-only tier, which is either brilliant accessibility or a logistics headache depending on your server. The sparkling anchors are strong: Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve and Cédric Mousse Champagne Elea represent serious grower territory, while the house Perelada Wrigley Mansion Brut Reserva Cava is a fun proprietary touch. Reds are leaner but punchy — Lingua Franca AVNI, Peay Pinot Noir, and A Tribute to Grace Shake Ridge Ranch Grenache show a West Coast natural-leaning bias that feels intentional. The white selection is short but hits international notes with Capichera Lintori from Sardinia and Beaumont Chenin Blanc from South Africa, which you don't see on many Phoenix lists.
Every single wine on this list is available by the glass, which is genuinely rare and genuinely useful — you can hop from a Kruger-Rumpf Riesling to a Peay Pinot without committing to a bottle. The price ceiling at $85/glass (almost certainly the Dom Pérignon 2015) is eyebrow-raising, and the floor at $13 is reasonable. No visible rotation program, but the range is wide enough that the static nature of the list doesn't sting as much.
Beaumont Chenin Blanc 2025 — $13
South African Chenin at the floor price of this list is a no-brainer — Beaumont is a legitimate producer from Bot River and this wine punches well above what the entry-tier price suggests. Order it while everyone else deliberates over the Champagne.
Cédric Mousse Champagne Elea
Mousse is a grower-producer from the Vallée de la Marne working primarily with Pinot Meunier — a variety most Champagne houses treat as a blending afterthought. Elea is his blanc de noirs and it's the kind of bottle that makes Champagne interesting again. Most guests will gravitate toward the Dom Pérignon flex; this is the smarter order.
Dom Perignon Brut 2015
At $85 a glass, you're paying a significant premium for the name recognition in a restaurant context where you have zero control over how it's been stored or how long the bottle has been open. The 2015 is a genuinely excellent vintage, but this is not the place to experience it — buy a bottle retail and do it right at home.
Capichera Lintori 2024 + Seafood dish
Capichera's Lintori is a Vermentino from Sardinia with enough texture and saline minerality to stand up to rich seafood preparations. Without specific menu data we can't name the exact dish, but on a Phoenix patio in the evening heat, this is the white you want in your glass with anything from the sea.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Christopher's is a Wild Card in the best sense — a historic mansion in the desert running an all-by-the-glass program with actual grower Champagne and South African Chenin. Markups keep it from being a true Rager, but as a destination for a glass of something genuinely interesting in Phoenix, it earns the visit.
Downtown Phoenix · Phoenix · American, Seasonal
Flour & Thyme earned its Wine Spectator credential, and the Tuesday half-price night makes this one of the better wine value plays in downtown Phoenix. Steer clear of the Caymus, order the Jordan, and let the wood-fired kitchen do the rest.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
Desert Ridge · Phoenix · Southwestern American
Tia Carmen is a reliable, well-executed resort wine program that earns its Wine Spectator nod without doing anything particularly daring. Send a friend here for a solid California Cab and a great meal — just don't expect the wine list to match the kitchen's ambition.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Phoenix · Phoenix · American
Rusconi's isn't trying to reinvent the wine list — it's trying to be the best California-focused neighborhood wine program in north Phoenix, and it largely succeeds. Send your friends here when they want a reliable, well-sourced bottle without having to think too hard.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Phoenix · Phoenix · Japanese, Mediterranean
Pa'La is the kind of place that earns a Wine Spectator credential by actually caring — the list is tight, Old World-focused, and priced fairly for what you're getting. Send a friend here and tell them to skip the Super Tuscans and drink Sicilian.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Camelback Corridor · Phoenix · French
Vincent's is one of the few restaurants in Phoenix where the wine list is genuinely worth the trip on its own terms — deep where it matters, staffed by someone who knows the inventory, and built to last. The markups sting, but you're buying into a program that has been maintained at a high level for nearly three decades.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Biltmore · Phoenix · American Steakhouse
The Capital Grille Phoenix is a serious wine destination dressed up as a steakhouse — the list is deep, the storage is proper, and the Wednesday half-price program makes it occasionally accessible. Markups run steep across the board, but if you know where to look, there are real wines worth ordering here.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
· Oklahoma City · Restaurant
Grey Sweater is doing something genuinely unusual for Oklahoma City — a tight, grower-Champagne-anchored list that rewards the curious and gently punishes the lazy. The markups aren't cheap, but the selection is real, and that counts for a lot when the alternative is another steak house wine list.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Spring · Restaurant
Plane & Level is punching well above its zip code with a focused, Old World-leaning list that rewards curious drinkers willing to venture past the obvious. If you're anywhere near Spring and care about what's in your glass, this one's worth the detour.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Brewster · Restaurant
The Arch is a dependable upscale dining list that does exactly what it sets out to do — make guests feel taken care of with names they know. Don't come looking for adventure, but if a friend wants a safe, solid bottle for a special occasion in Brewster, you can find one here without getting burned.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.