Grocery Store Shelf Meets Pasta Joint
· Moab · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 27, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Pasta Jay's’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Nine wines, all red, all names you've seen on an end cap at Costco — that's the opening move at Pasta Jay's in Moab. There's no white wine, no rosé, no sparkling, which is a bold swing for an Italian restaurant in the Utah desert where it's routinely 95 degrees outside. The list reads less like a curated program and more like someone grabbed what was available from a regional distributor and called it a day.
The entire list is nine reds, leaning heavily on California mass-market bottlings — Mark West, Meiomi, Woodbridge, Beringer Founders' Estate, Smoking Loon — with a gesture toward Italy via Ruffino and Da Vinci Chiantis. The Alamos Malbec and 7 Deadly Zins round things out, giving you a rough tour of the bottom shelf at your local grocery store. There's nothing wrong with any of these wines exactly, but there's nothing interesting either, and for an Italian restaurant, the near-total absence of Italian wine beyond two Chiantis is a missed opportunity. No Barbera, no Montepulciano, no Vermentino — just a very predictable lineup that prioritizes recognizable labels over anything that might actually complement the food.
All nine bottles are available by the glass, which sounds generous until you realize the glass markups are doing serious work here. At $17/glass for Meiomi Pinot Noir — a wine that retails around $15-18 a bottle — you're essentially paying for the whole bottle in one pour. The $10/glass Woodbridge Cab is the only price that feels close to reasonable, though it's also exactly what you'd expect.
The Bottom Line
Pasta Jay's wine list is a list in the most technical sense — it has wines on it, they cost money, you can order them. But with no whites, no rosé, steep markups on grocery-tier labels, and a selection that ignores most of Italy's wine country, it's hard to recommend anyone spend real money here on wine. Order the pasta, drink water, and save the bottle for somewhere that actually cares.
Highway 128 / Red Cliffs Lodge · Moab · Winery Patio
Castle Creek isn't competing with your favorite wine bar — it's competing with the view, and honestly both win. If you're driving Highway 128 and you don't stop here, you made a mistake.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Highway 128 / Sorrel River Ranch · Moab · Hotel Bar / New American
Sorrel River Ranch's bar and lounge isn't a wine destination, but it's a perfectly serviceable place to drink while the canyon walls turn red at sunset. Come for the view, order the Jordan, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Main / Hillside Overlook · Moab · Outdoor Bar / Steakhouse
Sunset Grill's wine list is a passenger, not a driver — you're really here for the view and the prime rib, and the wine program knows it. Come for the canyon sunset, order the Justin, and don't let the Silver Oak price tag ruin your evening.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / South 100 West · Moab · Barbecue Bar
Spitfire is a BBQ bar that treats wine as an afterthought in almost every way — except the pricing and the quiet inclusion of two local Utah pours that no one saw coming. Come for the ribs and a cold beer, but if you want wine, the Trapiche Malbec at $7 a glass is an honest steal and the Spanish Valley bottles are worth the curiosity.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Highway 128 / Red Cliffs Lodge · Moab · Winery Tasting Room
Castle Creek is a genuine Utah estate winery in one of the most visually arresting settings you'll ever drink in, and the wines are better than the novelty factor requires them to be. We wouldn't drive to Moab for the Cabernet, but if you're already there, skipping the tasting room would be the wrong call.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
North Main / Hillside Overlook · Moab · Private Dining / Steakhouse
Sunset Grill isn't trying to be a wine destination — it's a landmark steakhouse with a stunning hilltop setting and a list that comfortably serves its audience. If you want Cabernet with your canyon views, you're in good hands; if you want anything adventurous, you're in the wrong room.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Gatlinburg · Italian
A five-bottle wine list at an Italian restaurant with zero Italian wines on it is not a wine program — it's a placeholder. If you're in Gatlinburg and wine matters to you tonight, this isn't your stop. The October wine dinner series is genuinely interesting and worth watching, but the everyday list doesn't give us enough to recommend making wine a priority here.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
· Vail · Italian
Colletta's wine list is a focused, all-Italian effort with fair pricing and enough depth in the whites and sparkling to reward the curious drinker. The red selection is the weak link, but producers like Feudi di San Gregorio, Inama, and Villa Bucci prove that someone cared when putting this together. If you're in Vail and want a bottle of Falanghina without getting gouged, this is your place.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· White Plains · Italian
La Bocca is a polished, reservation-worthy Italian room in White Plains with a wine identity that leans on Italy's marquee regions — safe, serviceable, and priced for a special-occasion crowd. Until we can get eyes on the actual list and confirm what's pouring, we'd treat the wine program as a pleasant companion to the food rather than a destination in its own right. Ask the staff for their recommendation and see what happens.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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