Local Utah wines, big canyon views
Highway 128 / Colorado River · Moab · American, Western Steakhouse and BBQ · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed July 28, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Red Cliffs Lodge – Cowboy Grill’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You're sitting in a rustic lodge dining room with the Colorado River rolling past the window, and the wine list is almost entirely made up of bottles from a winery a few miles down the road. That's either charming or limiting depending on your mood — we'd argue it's both. It's not a list built to impress, but it's one built with a clear sense of place.
Castle Creek Winery out of Moab dominates the list, covering white, rosé, red, and sweet styles — so if you came here hoping to dig into a Burgundy or even a halfway interesting California Cab, you're out of luck. What you get instead is a tightly curated local story: Petroglyph Dry White, Lily Rose Sweet White, and estate Cabernet and Merlot that reflect the high-desert growing conditions of the Colorado Plateau. The list is short — we're talking maybe 15 to 25 wines total — and doesn't venture far beyond Utah's borders. It's not deep, but the focus is intentional rather than lazy.
The by-the-glass program runs about six to ten options, all priced between $9 and $11, which is genuinely reasonable for a lodge restaurant in a national park gateway town. Rotation doesn't appear to happen — this reads as a set-and-forget program tied to the lodge's winery partnership. What it lacks in dynamism it makes up for in accessibility: easy prices, easy choices.
Castle Creek Petroglyph Dry White — $9/glass, $35/bottle
At $35 a bottle for a locally grown, estate-produced dry white with actual regional character, you're not overpaying for the experience of drinking something grown in the same canyon you're staring at. That's rare and worth ordering.
Castle Creek Lily Rose Sweet White
Most people reflexively skip anything labeled 'sweet white,' but in a desert climate after a long day of hiking Arches, a slightly sweet, chilled white from down the road actually makes a lot of sense. It's not a serious wine, but it's the right wine for the moment.
Castle Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
At $11 a glass and $43 a bottle, it's the priciest pour on the list, and Utah-grown Cab is a tough sell — the growing conditions that make this region interesting for whites don't naturally favor big, structured reds. The prime rib deserves better if you care about the pairing.
Outlaw Red + BBQ Ribs
The house red is called Outlaw Red, it costs $10 a glass, and you're eating smoked ribs at a ranch lodge on the Colorado River. There's no overthinking required here — the fruit-forward, approachable style cuts through the fat and smoke without demanding your attention.
The Bottom Line
The Cowboy Grill isn't a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — but drinking local Castle Creek pours while watching the sun drop behind the canyon walls is a genuinely good time. Come for the scenery and the steak; treat the wine list as a local souvenir worth sipping.
· Moab · American breakfast and dinner
For a cafe in the middle of the Utah desert, Jailhouse punches above its weight class on the wine front — fair markups, a nearly all-by-the-glass menu, and a couple of genuine highlights in the Gruet and the Jadot. If you're rolling in off a trail and want something better than a gas station beer, this list will take care of you.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Moab · Brewpub
Moab Brewery is a solid brewpub doing exactly what it should — pouring craft beer to dusty hikers and mountain bikers. The wine list is an afterthought, and that's fine, as long as you treat it like one. Order the beer. If someone at your table insists on wine, the Trapiche Malbec is probably your least-bad option, but don't come here for the wine.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Moab · Italian
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.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
