A Scottsdale Bar That Actually Gets Wine
Old Town · Scottsdale · American Gastropub · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed March 21, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You walk into what looks like a well-dressed neighborhood bar and then the wine list hands you a Jolie-Laide Melon de Bourgogne and a German orange wine — not exactly what you'd expect in the middle of Old Town Scottsdale. This list has a point of view, and someone here clearly gives a damn. The price range keeps things accessible without feeling like they're embarrassed by what they're pouring.
Twenty-five-plus labels doesn't sound massive, but the curation is doing serious work here. California anchors the list with smart picks like Ridge Vineyards Grenache Blanc from Paso Robles, I. Brand Cabernet Franc from Bates Ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and the underrated Scythian Wine Co. out of Cucamonga Valley — not exactly the safe Napa playbook. Oregon gets a nod with Bethel Heights Estate Pinot Noir from Eola-Amity Hills and Gramercy Cellars from Columbia Valley rounds out the Pacific Northwest. The international reach is lean but intentional: a Roero DOCG from Italy, Sandy Cove Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, and that Enderle & Moll orange wine from Germany show they're not just filling slots.
Four by-the-glass options is thin — no getting around it. At $8 a glass the price is honest, but the program doesn't rotate enough to give regulars much to chase. If they'd open up even two or three more pours from this list, it'd be a genuine by-the-glass destination.
Bethel Heights Estate Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills Oregon — $115 bottle
Bethel Heights is one of the Willamette Valley's most consistent producers and Eola-Amity is gaining serious traction — finding it on a gastropub list at this price point instead of a marked-up fine dining menu is the kind of win you come back for.
Scythian Wine Co. The Scythians Red, Cucamonga Valley
Nobody orders this because nobody knows Cucamonga Valley exists, which is exactly why you should. Old-vine Cucamonga fruit with a producer that knows what they're doing — it's the kind of weird, confident pour that earns a wine list its stripes.
Valravn Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County
Valravn is fine, but it's the kind of wine you find at every hotel bar in America. With I. Brand Cabernet Franc and Gramercy Cellars on the same list, spending your money here is just leaving value on the table.
Jolie-Laide Melon de Bourgogne, Monterey County + Original Chopped Salad
Melon de Bourgogne is tart, saline, and cut with enough acidity to handle a dressed salad without disappearing — Jolie-Laide's version from Monterey has the texture to actually be interesting alongside the crunch and brightness in their signature chopped.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Citizen Public House is punching well above its gastropub weight class with a genuinely interesting wine list that rewards the curious. Four by-the-glass options holds it back from a higher badge, but if you're willing to commit to a bottle, this list will not let you down.
Old Town Scottsdale · Scottsdale · American
Frasher's isn't reinventing the steakhouse wine list, but it's doing the job with a Wine Spectator credential and a Wednesday half-price night that makes the steep markups a lot easier to live with. Send a friend here if they want a reliable California Cab with their red meat — just tell them to go on Wednesday.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
DC Ranch · Scottsdale · American, Small Plates
The Living Room isn't trying to reinvent wine — it's trying to make California Cab and Chardonnay feel like an event, and it mostly succeeds. Send your friends here for a comfortable, well-staffed wine experience; just remind them to drink the Duckhorn.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · French
The Mick Brasserie is a dependable, well-staffed wine destination dressed up as a casual neighborhood spot — a genuinely rare combo in Scottsdale. The markups keep it from being a great deal, but the sommelier team and the quality of the list make it worth showing up for.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · American, Steakhouse
STK Scottsdale is a reliable California wine destination — not a discovery, but a dependable one. If you're here for Wagyu and a bottle of Stag's Leap, you will not leave disappointed; just don't expect the list to surprise you.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Italian
Marcellino is doing something genuinely uncommon in Scottsdale — a disciplined, Italy-first wine program with real producers and a sommelier who clearly cares. Markups tip steep on the prestige bottles, but the depth of the list earns it a spot on your list if Italian wine is your thing.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Scottsdale isn't trying to be a wine bar, and it doesn't need to be — the list is purpose-built for red meat and it delivers. Markups lean steep on the trophy bottles, but the Argentine and Chilean selections give you a real path to drinking well without getting gouged.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
Loop 250 / Retail Corridor · Midland · American Gastropub
Cork & Pig is doing more with wine than anyone should expect from a retail-corridor gastropub in Midland. The markups sting a little at the top end, but the Social Hour pricing and the breadth of the by-the-glass program make this an easy recommendation for locals who want something better than house red.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown · Topeka · American Gastropub
The Pennant is a great place to bowl, eat a burger, and knock back a cheap drink — just don't come expecting anything from the wine list. Order the sangria, enjoy the arcade, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · Fort Collins · American Gastropub
Come to The Moot House for the atmosphere, the craft beer, and the fish and chips — not the wine. This list is a placeholder, not a program, and the markups don't justify the effort of choosing carefully.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.