Arizona Rhône Grapes, Half-Price Tuesdays, No Apologies
Cave Creek Corridor · Scottsdale · Winery Tasting Room · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed March 16, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed LDV Winery’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walk into LDV and you immediately realize this isn't a tourist trap masquerading as a winery — it's a legit small-production estate pouring wines grown in Arizona's Willcox and Sonoita appellations. The list is tight and focused, which is exactly the right call when you're making terroir-driven Rhône varietals in the desert. At $15–$25 a glass in a tasting room setting, the pricing is honest.
LDV keeps the portfolio narrow and means it — Viognier, Grenache, Syrah, and Petite Sirah are the pillars here, all sourced from Arizona's southern high-elevation wine country. The 2012 Sky Island Viognier signals that they're thinking about site expression, not just slapping a varietal label on something drinkable. The 2011 Signature Petite Sirah suggests they're also aging wines with intention, which is rare in a market flooded with pour-it-young thinking. The gap: if you're hunting Cabernet or Chardonnay, you're in the wrong place — and that's actually a feature, not a bug.
Tasting room pours run $15–$25 per glass, which is reasonable for estate-produced, small-lot Arizona wines that you genuinely cannot find at a grocery store. We don't have an exact count on glass options, but the estate focus means what's in the glass was made here, not sourced from a bulk supplier in the Central Valley. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, bottles go 50% off for dine-in or to-go — that changes the math considerably.
2012 Viognier — $25
Arizona estate Viognier at tasting room prices is already an interesting proposition — grab it on a Tuesday or Wednesday and you've got a wine that can't be found anywhere else at half the cost. That's a deal worth planning around.
2011 Signature Petite Sirah
Most people walk past Petite Sirah without a second look, especially from an Arizona producer. That's a mistake. A wine with a 'Signature' designation from a vintage with a year of age on it means LDV is betting on this as their statement bottle — and that kind of confidence in a lesser-known region usually pays off for the curious drinker.
2012 Petite Sirah
If the 2011 Signature Petite Sirah is on the list, the standard 2012 Petite Sirah is the obvious understudy. Unless there's a significant price gap in your favor, the Signature is the move — don't settle for the second-string version when the flagship is right there.
2012 Sky Island Viognier + Charcuterie & Local Cheese Board
A high-elevation Arizona Viognier with its likely stone fruit and floral character cuts through rich cured meats and holds its own against aged cheeses — it's the tasting room move that actually makes sense, and doesn't require a full kitchen to pull off.
Tuesday & Wednesday — All bottles 50% off, available for dine-in or to-go. One of the more generous wine deals in the Scottsdale area.
The Bottom Line
LDV is Scottsdale's open secret for people who actually care about where their wine comes from — a focused Arizona estate list, fair prices, and a half-price bottle program on Tuesdays and Wednesdays that makes it genuinely hard to say no. If you're bored of the same California hits and want to drink something you can't find on a restaurant list in any other city, this is your spot.
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Italian, Mediterranean
A short, Italian-leaning wine list with a note that the full list is available on request. Start with the Planeta Grillo at 12/40 or the Noussan Petit Arvine at 23/80, ask which number is the glass price, and confirm everything, since the files are linked with 2024 dates in their names. This unrated guide covers the posted wine PDF, not service, storage or markups.
Old Town · Scottsdale · Modern Latin
A 32-wine list that mixes 26 two-price pairs, like 11/39, with six single prices from 90 to 155. Start with the 11/39 Pinot Grigio, or the 15/53 Trimbach Pinot Blanc if you want the one Alsace wine, and ask what each number in a pair covers before you order. This unrated guide covers the posted Old Town wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Italian
An Italian list dated 06.17.26 with 18 glass pours at 15 to 19 and full bottles from 60 to 970. Start with the Barbera d’Alba La Gemella at 15 a glass, or the Fontanavecchia Aglianico del Taburno from the chef’s Campania hometown at 17, and confirm prices because the list says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Old Town · Scottsdale · American Gastropub
A long wine list that mixes Arizona and California bottles with Italian, French and Spanish wines, posted as pairs like 14 / 44 and single prices like 86. Start with the 13 / 48 Les Hauts Plateaux Rosé, or the 101 Scythians Red if you want the one Cucamonga Valley wine, and ask what each number in a pair covers. The restaurant's menus page and its linked PDF differ on some wines, so confirm before you go. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
North Scottsdale · Scottsdale · American Brasserie
A California-led list with a real glass tier under the big Cabernet bottles: 20 wines carry labeled 6 oz, 9 oz and bottle prices, starting at $13. Start with the Thomas Schmitt Riesling Kabinett at $13 for 6 oz or the Massican Sauvignon Blanc at $18 for 6 oz, and confirm prices because the menu is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted beverage menu, not service, storage or markups.
North Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Prime Steakhouse
A producer-by-producer list with 43 glass pours from $10 to $45, most of them $19 or less. Start with the $18 Pascal Jolivet Sauvignon Blanc, or pair the Daou Vineyards Cabernet ($18 glass, $72 bottle) with the 35 oz Prime Tomahawk at $147, and ask which bottling is pouring. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Old Town Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Winery Tasting Room
A one-producer Arizona list that is easy to read: 18 wines, $15 to $45 online, and a $25 five-wine tasting. Put the 2023 Sangiovese or the 2023 Malvasia Bianca in your five, and ask the room which wines are open since no pour list is posted. This unrated guide covers the winery's posted online shop prices and tasting fee, not the Scottsdale room's pours, service or markups.
· San Francisco · Winery Tasting Room
If you're driving through Sonoma and want to understand why Chardonnay still matters in California, Kistler's tasting room makes a strong case — but you need an appointment and you need to want exactly what they're pouring. The cheese, dips, and crackers are incidental; the wines are the entire point. Book ahead, show up curious, and let the vineyard-specific lineup do the work.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Newport · Winery Tasting Room
Greenvale Vineyards is a legitimate reason to detour off Bellevue Avenue. The estate list is small but not lazy — the Ramato alone earns the visit — and at $25 to $40 a bottle, you're paying tasting room prices, not restaurant markups. If you're spending a day in Newport, this is where you buy a bottle for the waterfront, not where you linger over a three-course dinner.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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