California Royalty Hiding in the Desert
Casino Del Sol · Tucson · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 5, 2026
RagingWine reviewed PY Steakhouse’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
White tablecloths, cozy booths, an open kitchen — PY Steakhouse doesn't mess around with atmosphere, and the wine list matches that energy immediately. You're handed something that feels curated and intentional, heavy on California's greatest hits with enough depth to keep things interesting. This is not a list assembled by someone who googled 'popular wines.'
The 300-500 bottle list leans hard into California, which makes total sense given their Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence and the steakhouse format — but it's executed with real conviction. Caymus, Silver Oak, Paul Hobbs, Stag's Leap, Duckhorn, Opus One — these aren't just name-drops, they're the backbone of a list that knows exactly who it is. Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel adds a little personality amid the Cab-heavy lineup, and Far Niente and Cakebread cover the Chardonnay side with authority. You won't find obscure Jura producers here, but if California is your arena, this list is genuinely deep.
With 20-35 by-the-glass options, PY is more generous than most steakhouses that treat BTG as an afterthought. The range covers enough ground to keep the whole table happy from first pour through dessert. We'd love to see more rotation and a few wildcards in the lineup, but the quality floor is high.
Jordan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon — $50
Jordan consistently punches above its price point — it's the kind of Sonoma Cab that drinks smooth and polished without demanding you remortgage your house, and it holds its own next to cuts that cost three times as much.
Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel
In a list dominated by Cabernet, this one gets overlooked constantly — which is a mistake. Ridge makes some of California's most serious Zinfandels, complex and earthy in a way that actually holds up against a ribeye without turning into fruit punch.
Opus One
Opus One is a trophy bottle and it's priced like one. At a steakhouse with a 4x markup, you're paying a significant premium for the name on the label. The wine is excellent — but you can drink better here for less.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon + 40oz Porterhouse
Stag's Leap brings enough structure and dark fruit to stand up to a massive porterhouse without overwhelming the beef — it's got elegance where some Cabs just bring brute force, which makes it the move for a cut this substantial.
The Bottom Line
PY Steakhouse is the kind of place you'd send someone who wants to do California wine right with a serious piece of beef in front of them — sommelier William Foster and a legitimately deep list make this one of Tucson's best wine destinations, full stop. Yes, the markups sting, but the experience earns most of it.
Catalina Foothills · Tucson · New American
Commoner & Co. is a dependable neighborhood wine list in a city that doesn't always prioritize the bottle program — fair pricing, reasonable range, and a Monday half-off special that makes it genuinely worth planning around. Not a destination for wine geeks, but a solid place to drink well without thinking too hard about it.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· Tucson · Beer & Wine Bar
Broadway Beer & Wine Bar earns a Lazy List badge not because the wines are bad, but because the list represents zero effort beyond calling an Edgefield distributor. If you're here for beer, you're probably fine — but if you came for wine variety, keep walking.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Tucson · Bar with Wine
Good Oak is exactly the kind of place that surprises you — a casual Congress Street bar that happens to have a sommelier and a wine list that leans into Italy and Portugal instead of defaulting to the usual suspects. If you're in Tucson and want a glass of something interesting without the pretense, this is the move.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Acceptable
· Tucson · New American
Maynards Kitchen is a charming spot inside a genuinely iconic Tucson hotel, which makes the wine list feel like an especially lazy afterthought. Skip the wine, order a cocktail, and hope whoever curates this program eventually decides to care.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Tucson · Tucson · Italian/New American
Zio Peppe is a solid neighborhood spot where the wine list won't blow your mind but won't let you down either — stick to something California and light, order the Sausage and Mushroom pizza, and enjoy the patio. Send your friend here for dinner, not for the wine.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Tucson · Wine Bar
Sunshine Wine is doing something genuinely uncommon for Tucson — leaning hard into the borderlands wine identity and making it feel cool instead of gimmicky. If you're curious about what Arizona and Sonora actually taste like in a glass, this bungalow on Santa Rita is the place to find out.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Honolulu · Steakhouse
The Capital Grille Hawaii's wine list does what the brand does everywhere — it's safe, corporate, and priced to capture resort-market margins. The Champagne selection is genuinely deep and includes some worthwhile picks like the Paul Bara and the Llopart Cava, but markups are steep and there's little here to excite anyone looking beyond the obvious. If you're here for a steak and want bubbles, you'll find something that works — just don't expect the list to dazzle you.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikiki · Honolulu · Steakhouse
BLT Steak Waikiki is a competent, crowd-pleasing steakhouse wine list in a setting where you're mostly paying for the view and the popovers. If wine is central to your evening, call ahead and ask what's actually open — the list's documented depth isn't enough to guarantee a great bottle without some homework. Come for the porterhouse, manage your wine expectations.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Decatur · Steakhouse
Kevin Rathbun Steak has built a by-the-glass program that takes wine seriously enough to include Chablis, Oregon Pinot, and Realm Cellars on the same list — that's not nothing. Markups trend steep at the top end, and without verified dish information we can't tell you what to order with what. But if you're eating here and skipping the wine list entirely, you're leaving the best part of the menu alone.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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