Tsunami
Sushi's Great, Wine List Fell Asleep
Sugar House · Salt Lake City · Sushi · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 1, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You open the menu hoping for something interesting to sip alongside your omakase and land on Josh Cellars and 19 Crimes. The wine list feels like it was assembled in about fifteen minutes by someone who prioritized recognizable labels over anything worth actually drinking. It's not offensive — it's just completely indifferent.
Selection Deep Dive
The list leans on California and Australia for its heavy hitters, with a token nod to Italy via Anterra Chardonnay and Frico Prosecco. There's no regional intentionality here — no skin-contact whites, no crisp Alsatian Riesling, nothing that actually makes sense next to raw fish. What you get instead is a greatest hits of grocery store shelf staples: Josh Cabernet at a sushi restaurant, 19 Crimes Red Blend doing whatever 19 Crimes does. The list doesn't evolve with the food, and that's a missed opportunity for a restaurant that clearly puts effort into the kitchen.
By the Glass
There are at least six by-the-glass options, all priced between $10 and $13, which sounds reasonable until you notice you're not getting much for it. The most interesting entry is the Lorenza Spritz Rosé in a 250ml can — at least that's honest about what it is. The Frico Frizzante Prosecco in a 250ml bottle is similarly casual and arguably the most food-friendly thing on the glass menu.
Lorenza Spritz Rosé Wine (250ml can) — $12.99
Retail lands around $15 for the can, so the markup is the most reasonable on the list at under 90%. It's light, effervescent, and actually plays well with lighter sushi rolls. No illusions about what it is — and that's refreshing.
Frico Frizzante Prosecco (250ml)
Most people will scroll past the small-format sparkling and grab a Cab they recognize. Don't. A light, slightly fizzy Italian Prosecco is legitimately one of the better things you can drink with sushi, and at a sushi spot where the wine list isn't doing you any favors, this is the move.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon at a sushi restaurant is already a tough sell, but Josh Cellars at a steep restaurant markup makes it a hard no. You're paying for a brand that's already marked up aggressively at retail — layering a restaurant pour on top of that is just paying twice for mediocrity.
Frico Frizzante Prosecco (250ml) + Nigiri platter
Lightly sparkling, low alcohol, and crisp — it won't bulldoze the delicate flavors of fresh fish the way a Cab would. It's the closest thing to a correct pairing on this list, and nigiri is where it shines.
❌ The Bottom Line
Tsunami clearly knows what it's doing in the kitchen, but the wine list is on autopilot — safe brands, limited range, and markups that don't reward the gamble. Order the sake, grab the Prosecco, and save the serious wine for somewhere that cares.
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