Ocean 44
Napa heavy, Sunday savings, bring your wallet
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Seafood & Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 21, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Ocean 44 arrives looking like it means business — 300-plus bottles deep, anchored by California heavyweights and a respectable nod to Burgundy and Champagne. It's the kind of list that feels right at home with a $60 plate of Chilean sea bass. The problem is, that confidence comes with a price tag that isn't always justified.
Selection Deep Dive
Napa Cabernet is clearly the star here, and the list delivers with names like Silver Oak, Duckhorn, and Stag's Leap Artemis giving guests something to actually get excited about. The Chardonnay bench is deep too — Far Niente, Flowers Sonoma Coast, and Cakebread all show up, which tracks for a room built around premium seafood. Burgundy and Champagne make appearances as well, adding some Old World texture to what could otherwise feel like a California monoculture. New Zealand rounds out the whites nicely, though the overall list doesn't venture much beyond crowd-pleasing territory.
By the Glass
Twenty to thirty options by the glass is a solid count, and the range covers enough ground to satisfy both the Chardonnay loyalist and the Cab drinker who won't budge. The Flowers Sonoma Coast Chardonnay at $20 a glass is a worthy pour, even if the markup math is brutal. A sommelier on staff means someone can actually guide you through the options, which helps when the list is this dense.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 — $120/bottle
At 140% above retail it's not cheap, but relative to everything else on this list it's one of the more reasonable ways to drink a recognizable, well-made Napa Cab. Especially on a Sunday when it could be half that.
Duckhorn Chardonnay Carneros 2022
Most people at Ocean 44 are going straight for the Cabs, which means this Carneros Chardonnay gets slept on. It's a more interesting white than the Cakebread crowd tends to reach for, with enough richness to hold up against the lobster bisque.
Sterling Vintner's Collection Chardonnay 2022
A $12 retail bottle at $14 a glass is a 917% markup and an insult dressed up in stemware. This is a grocery store wine at a steakhouse price. Order literally anything else.
Flowers Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2022 + Chilean sea bass
Flowers brings enough acid and coastal salinity to match the richness of a well-prepared sea bass without getting steamrolled by it. It's the kind of pairing that makes a $20 glass feel almost reasonable.
Sunday — Half-price select bottles every Sunday night.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Ocean 44 has a genuinely good wine program wrapped in a frustratingly uneven markup structure — some bottles are fair, others are highway robbery. Come on a Sunday, skip the entry-level pours, and lean into the Napa headliners where the pricing at least makes a little more sense.
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