Sunday bottles half off, zero excuses needed
Downtown / ASU Campus · Tempe · Italian and Mediterranean-inspired contemporary American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 29, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Society Tempe’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
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.
South Tempe · Tempe · American / Neighborhood Bistro
The Hudson is a fine place to eat a burger and drink a beer, but the wine list is on autopilot — familiar labels, steep markups outside of Wednesday's deal, and no evidence that anyone on staff is losing sleep over it. Send a friend here for the food, tell them to drink a cocktail.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Novus / ASU Campus District · Tempe · American Burger & Craft Bar
Eureka! Tempe is a craft beer bar first, a burger spot second, and a wine destination never. Order a local draft, enjoy your Truffle Cheese Fries, and save the wine for a place that's actually trying.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Tempe / Tempe Marketplace · Tempe · Modern Mexican
Blanco is a tequila bar that serves wine as a courtesy, and the list reflects exactly that level of commitment. Come for the cocktails and the Short Rib Machaca Enchiladas — if you want wine, order the bottle with the lowest markup and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
The Buttes / West Tempe · Tempe · Steakhouse-Lean New American
Top of the Rock is a safe, predictable wine list dressed up in a genuinely spectacular setting — you're paying a resort premium for Napa's greatest hits, and the view is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Send a friend here for the scenery and the steak, but tell them to pick their bottle carefully.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
The Buttes / West Tempe · Tempe · Lounge / New American
Top of the Rock is a perfectly acceptable place to drink wine if the sunset and the occasion are doing the work — just don't expect the list to surprise you or the prices to be anything but hotel-steep. Order the Brunello or the Penner-Ash, enjoy the view, and let it be what it is.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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
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