Kembara
Resort wine list that actually tries something
Desert Ridge · Phoenix · Pan-Asian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 20, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walking into a Marriott resort restaurant, your expectations for wine are somewhere between 'Kendall-Jackson by the glass' and 'whatever the hotel corporate office approved.' Kembara mostly defies that. The list has actual personality — local Arizona pours, Alsatian whites, an Austrian Grüner, and some Piedmont bottles that feel genuinely intentional next to a pan-Asian menu. It's not perfect, but it's trying, and in a resort context, that counts for something.
Selection Deep Dive
The list spans a solid swath of the globe: Napa heavyweights sit alongside Grounded Wine Co.'s Willamette Pinot Noir, Trimbach Pinot Blanc from Alsace, and a Malat Grüner Veltliner from Austria that makes real sense with the spice-forward food. The local Arizona nod — Caduceus Cellars' Chupacabra Red — is a smart crowd-play that gives locals something to point at. Gaps show up in Southern Hemisphere coverage and anything that could be called a discovery-level bottle, but the range from Lieu Dit Sauvignon Blanc in Santa Barbara to Francesco Rinaldi's Grignolino from Piedmont signals someone actually built this list with the cuisine in mind. Where it falls down is the dessert wine and Port pricing, which is quietly brutal.
By the Glass
Glass pricing runs $15–$35, which is standard resort math but stings when the pours are modest. We'd steer toward the Malat Grüner or the Mönchhof Estate Riesling by the glass — both cut through the bold flavors on this menu better than most of the Napa reds will. The Champagne options (Café de Paris Brut and Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée 1785) are a nice flex for a celebration start, though you'll feel the markup.
Lieu Dit Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Barbara — $15 glass
Santa Barbara Sauvignon Blanc at the entry glass price is a legitimate find here — brighter and more food-friendly than anything from Napa at this price point, and it holds its own against the Tuna Thai Jewel or anything with lime and fish sauce on the menu.
Francesco Rinaldi Grignolino D'Asti, Piedmont
Most tables at a resort pan-Asian spot are going to reach for a Cab or a Pinot Noir. Grignolino is a light, tannic, slightly rustic red that almost nobody orders and almost always works with food that has heat and umami — which describes about half this menu. It's the nerdy pick that earns its place.
Croft 10 Year Old Tawny Port NV
At $17 a glass, this sounds reasonable until you realize a full bottle retails around $20–25 at most wine shops. That's a markup structure that doesn't hold up to any scrutiny. Order the Vietti Moscato D'Asti as a dessert sipper instead — still marked up, but at least it's a livelier finish.
Malat Grüner Veltliner, Austria + Chilli Crab
Grüner Veltliner's characteristic white pepper note and clean acidity are almost purpose-built for spicy shellfish. The Chilli Crab's richness and heat get cut and complemented at the same time — this is the pairing a good list should make obvious, and Kembara at least gives you the tools to figure it out.
🎲 The Bottom Line
For a resort restaurant in Phoenix, Kembara's wine list is genuinely above average — there's real thought behind it, especially in the white and lighter red selections that actually complement the food. The dessert wine and Port markups are a cash grab worth avoiding, but the Austrian and Alsatian options alone make it worth exploring before you default to a cocktail.
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