French Brasserie Vibes, Serious California Backbone
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · French · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 10, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at The Mick Brasserie lands with a confident thud — this isn't a restaurant that phoned it in. A Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2023 backs up what you see on the page: a focused, well-curated list that leans hard into California and France without going full wine-nerd rabbit hole.
The California side is the real story here — Opus One, Joseph Phelps Insignia, Silver Oak Alexander Valley, Caymus, and Far Niente Chardonnay represent the greatest hits of Napa and Sonoma, which will make a certain Scottsdale crowd very happy. France shows up with real credibility too: Chateau Margaux and Louis Jadot Burgundy are name-brand anchors, and the presence of Domaine Drouhin Oregon signals that someone on staff is actually paying attention. At 150–250 bottles, this is a list with genuine range, not just a token wine section bolted onto a food menu. The gap is in depth — if you're hunting for grower Champagne, Loire oddities, or anything below the radar, you'll come up short.
Twenty to thirty-five by-the-glass options is a serious commitment for a brasserie, and the $12–$22 range means there's something for every price point. With five sommeliers on the floor — James Cox, Ricky Reyes, Travis Williford, Stephen Perry, and Bryan Lopez — you're genuinely likely to get useful guidance on what's pouring well right now rather than a shoulder shrug.
Louis Jadot Burgundy — $45–$65
In a list stacked with $100+ California trophies, a well-sourced Jadot Burgundy at entry-level bottle pricing is where the savvy diner parks their money — real Pinot Noir terroir without the Napa markup.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon
Everyone at this table is ordering Caymus. Don't be everyone at this table. Drouhin's Oregon Pinot is one of the most quietly serious bottles on the list — Old World sensibility, New World fruit, and it flies under the radar every time.
Opus One
Look, Opus One is a great wine. It's also one of the most marked-up bottles at any restaurant in America. You're paying for the name here, and at a brasserie in Scottsdale, you can do a lot more with that money elsewhere on this list.
Far Niente Chardonnay + Moules Frites
Far Niente's Chardonnay is rich enough to stand up to briny, butter-forward mussels without steamrolling them — the wine's oak and stone fruit play off the classic French preparation in a way that actually makes sense on a brasserie menu.
✔️ The Bottom Line
The Mick Brasserie is a dependable, well-staffed wine destination dressed up as a casual neighborhood spot — a genuinely rare combo in Scottsdale. The markups keep it from being a great deal, but the sommelier team and the quality of the list make it worth showing up for.
Old Town Scottsdale · Scottsdale · American
Frasher's isn't reinventing the steakhouse wine list, but it's doing the job with a Wine Spectator credential and a Wednesday half-price night that makes the steep markups a lot easier to live with. Send a friend here if they want a reliable California Cab with their red meat — just tell them to go on Wednesday.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
DC Ranch · Scottsdale · American, Small Plates
The Living Room isn't trying to reinvent wine — it's trying to make California Cab and Chardonnay feel like an event, and it mostly succeeds. Send your friends here for a comfortable, well-staffed wine experience; just remind them to drink the Duckhorn.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · American, Steakhouse
STK Scottsdale is a reliable California wine destination — not a discovery, but a dependable one. If you're here for Wagyu and a bottle of Stag's Leap, you will not leave disappointed; just don't expect the list to surprise you.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Italian
Marcellino is doing something genuinely uncommon in Scottsdale — a disciplined, Italy-first wine program with real producers and a sommelier who clearly cares. Markups tip steep on the prestige bottles, but the depth of the list earns it a spot on your list if Italian wine is your thing.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Scottsdale isn't trying to be a wine bar, and it doesn't need to be — the list is purpose-built for red meat and it delivers. Markups lean steep on the trophy bottles, but the Argentine and Chilean selections give you a real path to drinking well without getting gouged.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Italian, Mediterranean
Virtu is one of the most credible Italian wine programs in Arizona — the producers are real, the pricing is honest, and the list has genuine depth in Piedmont and Tuscany. If you care about what's in the glass, this is the restaurant in Scottsdale worth planning your evening around.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
College Hill · Wichita · French
Georges is doing something genuinely impressive for its market — a focused, honest French wine list in a city where that's not a given. It's not a deep cellar and the BTG program could use more energy, but as a neighborhood bistro wine experience, it punches well above its zip code.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Skaneateles / Greater Syracuse · Syracuse · French
Joelle's isn't trying to be a wine destination — it's a French bistro that takes its wine list seriously enough to match the food, and that's exactly what it delivers. If you're eating here and drinking French, you'll leave satisfied.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Montrose · Houston · French
The Marigold Club is Houston's most interesting new wine room for anyone who thinks Champagne is a food group and France is the only country that matters — in the best possible way. Go on a Sunday, order the Delamotte, eat the Duck Wellington, and tip generously.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
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