Old World soul with a serious Italian cellar
Old Town Scottsdale · Phoenix · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 20, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Marcellino Ristorante’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Marcellino arrives with the same confident energy as the room — exposed brick, candlelight, someone singing in the corner. It's Italian through and through, with over 100 selections that lean hard into the Boot. Wine Spectator has handed them awards here, and you can tell someone actually curated this thing.
The list is anchored by Italy's heavyweights — Amarone, Barolo, Brunello, and Super Tuscans form the backbone, with a solid nod to Campania for good measure. It's not a deep-cellar rabbit hole, but it covers the Italian regions that matter without padding the list with filler. France gets a seat at the table too, mostly Champagne, which makes sense for a room that attracts anniversaries and proposals. Gaps show up if you're hunting for anything outside Europe — this is not the spot for a Napa Cab night.
Ten to sixteen options by the glass puts them in a decent spot, priced $14–$22, which is par for Scottsdale's dinner-out economy. The range tracks with the bottle list — Italian-forward, a few French pours mixed in. Don't expect the list to rotate aggressively; what's on there feels settled in.
Campania Red — $14
Southern Italian reds are chronically underpriced relative to their quality, and the entry point here gives you earthy, structured wine that holds its own against the pasta dishes without wrecking your tab.
Super Tuscan
Most tables here are ordering the Barolo or Brunello on reputation alone — but a well-chosen Super Tuscan at this price tier often drinks smoother, opens faster, and surprises people who've only heard the name without trying one.
Champagne by the glass
Champagne by the glass at a restaurant with steep markups is almost always a losing proposition — you're paying for the occasion, not the wine. Spring for a bottle or pivot to something Italian where the value story is actually there.
Amarone + Paccheri
Amarone's dried-grape intensity and dark fruit weight can handle a rich, slow-cooked ragu clinging to thick paccheri tubes — the wine has enough structure to match the pasta without steamrolling it.
The Bottom Line
Marcellino is the kind of Italian restaurant where the wine list actually earns the room it's served in — it's not cheap, but it's honest about what it is. If you're going for a proper Italian red with a serious dinner, this is a reliable call in Scottsdale.
· Phoenix · Restaurant
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.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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
· Laredo · Italian
Johnny Carino's Laredo isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes that abundantly clear. If you're here, go on a Sunday or Wednesday, grab that half-price Albertoni, and keep your expectations parked firmly at 'Italian chain in Laredo.'
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
· Toledo · Italian
Rosie's is doing what a neighborhood Italian restaurant should do with its wine list — keeping prices honest, leaning into Italian varietals, and giving you enough by-the-glass options that everyone at the table finds something. It's not pushing any boundaries, but it's not trying to either, and that's perfectly fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Gilbert · Gilbert · Italian
North Italia Gilbert is a chain that does the bare minimum of interesting things — and sometimes that's exactly what you need on a Tuesday in Gilbert. The Italian regional whites are the real reason to open this list; everything else is serviceable.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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