Sunday bottles half off, zero excuses needed
Downtown / ASU Campus · Tempe · Italian and Mediterranean-inspired contemporary American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 29, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The list at Society Tempe reads like a confident greatest-hits playlist — familiar names, nothing intimidating, priced in a way that doesn't make you do math before ordering a second glass. For a late-night spot sitting in the shadow of ASU, the fact that they've bothered to include a Chianti and an Argentine Malbec alongside the usual suspects is a small but meaningful gesture toward effort.
Thirty to forty labels spread across Italy, Oregon, California, and Argentina keeps things geographically honest without breaking new ground. The Italian representation — anchored by Nozzole Chianti — gives the menu's pasta dishes something to lean on, and the Siete Fincas Malbec from Mendoza adds a little South American muscle. What you won't find is anything truly obscure or cellar-worthy; this is a list built for table turnover and crowd comfort, not discovery. Gaps in white Burgundy, Rhône, and anything remotely nerdy are real, but this isn't that kind of room.
Ten to fifteen options by the glass is a solid spread for a restaurant at this price point, covering red, white, sparkling, and rosé so no one at the table is left stranded. Prices land between $10 and $16 a glass, which is genuinely fair for Tempe's dining scene. The rotation doesn't appear to change frequently, but what's there is approachable and priced to order more than one.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon — $13/glass
A 13% markup over retail is almost embarrassingly fair — you're basically paying grocery store prices with someone else doing the pouring. Not a complex wine, but it's exactly what it says on the label and costs almost nothing for what you get.
Nozzole Chianti
In a room full of California staples, the Nozzole Chianti is the one bottle that actually makes sense with the food. Sangiovese's natural acidity cuts through red sauce and pasta in a way that Meiomi simply cannot — most tables here will walk right past it and order the Cab, which is their loss.
Cakebread Chardonnay Napa Valley
A 105% markup on a wine you can find at Total Wine for $45 is the one place Society breaks the goodwill it builds everywhere else on the list. At $22 a glass it sounds reasonable until you realize you're paying Napa prices for a wine that isn't hard to find. Save it for a wine shop.
Nozzole Chianti + House-made spinach tagliatelle pasta
Sangiovese and fresh pasta with herby, tomato-forward sauce is not a revolutionary idea — it's just correct. The Chianti's bright acidity and earthy backbone hold up to the richness of the tagliatelle without overwhelming it, and you'll feel like you accidentally ordered well.
Sunday — Half-price bottles of wine every Sunday starting at 4:00 PM until late night. Promoted regularly on Instagram and OpenTable.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Society Tempe isn't here to change how you think about wine — it's here to make sure you drink well while you eat pasta at 10pm on a Sunday, ideally at half price. Show up on Sunday, order the Chianti, skip the Cakebread, and you'll walk out happy.
Downtown / Mill Avenue · Tempe · Cocktail Bar
Filthy Animal is the last place you'd expect to find a real wine list, which is precisely what makes it a Wild Card — the selection punches above the bar's party-school energy, and if you know what to order, you can drink well while everyone else is doing kamikazes. Just don't come here for the value; come for the vibe and the pleasant surprise.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Tempe · Tempe · Wine Bar / Mediterranean Small Plates
Bar Capri isn't trying to be a destination wine program — it's trying to be a really good neighborhood wine bar, and it mostly nails that. The Pasta Night deal alone is worth bookmarking, and the Barolo on a short list is the kind of detail that tells you someone cares.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
South Tempe / Warner & Rural · Tempe · Modern Southwestern
Ghost Ranch is a reliable neighborhood option if you're here for the food and want a decent glass of something familiar to go alongside it. Don't come expecting a curated wine program — but don't skip the wine either; just order smart and keep expectations calibrated.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / ASU Campus · Tempe · Wine bar serving Italian- and Mediterranean-influenced cafe fare
Postino Annex isn't where you go to drink seriously — it's where you go to drink smartly, and there's a difference. With Monday-Tuesday bottle deals, markups that border on generous, and a by-the-glass list that earns its breadth, this is the rare casual spot where the wine program actually respects your wallet.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
The Buttes / West Tempe · Tempe · Upscale New American / Southwestern
Top of the Rock is a place you go for the view and the occasion, not the wine list — and the list knows it. If you're celebrating something and need a bottle, Jordan Cab and the setting will carry you through; just don't expect the wine program to pull its weight.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Tempe · Tempe · American
A senior living community in Tempe earning a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and actually backing it up with California classics and legit Arizona producers is the kind of surprise we live for. If you're near ASU and sleeping on this list, wake up.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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