Six Hundred Bottles Deep in Anchorage
Downtown · Anchorage · American, International, Contemporary, Wine Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 15, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You walk into a wine bar in downtown Anchorage and the list runs 600 bottles deep — that's not what you expect when you're this far from Napa, Burgundy, or anywhere wine culture typically lives. The vibe is low-key and conversational, like someone's well-stocked living room decided to charge a cover. It earns your attention immediately.
The cellar leans heavily European — French Burgundy and Bordeaux anchor the list — but there's real range here, with Oregon Pinot Noir producers and California Cabernet Sauvignon rounding out the New World side. For a city where a wine program this size would be remarkable anywhere, let alone at 61 degrees north latitude, Crush is genuinely doing the work. The gaps are real — no deep dive into Southern Hemisphere or emerging regions from what we can tell — but the core is solid and curated with intention. Six hundred bottles is a commitment, and this list backs it up.
Over 40 by-the-glass options is the headline, and it's a real one — sparkling wine by the glass alone puts Crush ahead of most full-service restaurants in cities twice Anchorage's size. The rotating selections keep things interesting, especially on the Oregon Pinot side. If you're here for a glass and a plate, you won't be stuck choosing between two uninspiring house pours.
Oregon Pinot Noir (rotating selection) — null
Oregon Pinot by the glass at a wine-focused bistro almost always outperforms its price point, and Crush's rotating picks from Pacific Northwest producers are the move here — great quality-to-cost ratio without the Burgundy markup.
Rosso Wine Flight
The Rosso Wine Flight is the sleeper pick — a structured way to taste across the list without committing to a bottle, and in a cellar this deep, the flight likely surfaces wines most guests would scroll past. Let someone else do the curation.
California Cabernet Sauvignon
California Cab is the safe, crowd-pleasing anchor on almost every restaurant list in America, and it tends to carry the steepest markups for the least surprise. With French Burgundy and Oregon Pinot on the same list, there's no reason to default here.
French Burgundy (by the glass) + Salmon Special
Alaskan salmon and white Burgundy is a classic match — the wine's acidity and minerality cut through the richness of the fish without overwhelming it. At a bistro that clearly takes both the wine and the kitchen seriously, this is the obvious play.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Crush is the kind of place that shouldn't exist where it exists, and that's exactly what makes it worth seeking out. If you're in Anchorage and you care about what's in your glass, you come here — full stop.
Downtown · Anchorage · New American
The Marx Brothers Café is the kind of place that makes you reconsider your assumptions about where serious wine lives. In a historic Anchorage bungalow, they've built a list that would hold its own in San Francisco — and that earns every bit of the Wild Card badge.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / G Street corridor · Anchorage · Wine Bar / Bistro
Crush earns its Wild Card badge not by being perfect, but by being genuinely surprising — a 600-bottle cellar and 40+ glass pours in Anchorage is an achievement worth acknowledging out loud. If you're passing through or living here, this is where you go when you actually care what's in your glass.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Girdwood · Anchorage · Winery Restaurant / Taproom
Bear Creek Winery Loft earns its Wild Card badge honestly — it's not trying to be a serious wine destination and doesn't need to be. If you're in Girdwood and you skip this in favor of a hotel bar pour, you've made a mistake you'll regret when you're back home explaining why you didn't try the rhubarb wine made in Alaska.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Anchorage · Modern Mexican / Latin Fusion
Tequila 61° is a genuinely fun downtown Anchorage spot — but the wine list is not the reason to come. Order the tequila, drink the margaritas, and if someone at the table insists on wine, steer them toward the Pinot Grigio and move on.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · Anchorage · Brazilian Steakhouse (Churrascaria)
Texas de Brazil Anchorage is a reliable enough wine stop if you calibrate expectations to match the format — this is a chain steakhouse, not a wine destination, and the list behaves accordingly. Grab the Catena, eat a lot of picanha, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown / Spenard · Anchorage · Mexican / Pub / Pizza
Bear Tooth Grill is a legitimately great spot for beer, margaritas, pizza, and a movie — the wine list is just a formality. Order a craft beer, skip the wine entirely, and you'll have a fantastic time.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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