If you are looking for a place to enjoy some wine tasting, or if you'd just like to pick up a few bottles or a couple of cases, here are my recommendations for places in the Greater Phoenix area where you are sure to find both everyday, reasonably priced wines as well as expensive, specialty wines.
Armitage Wine Bar Lounge & Café
Scottsdale. From the web site: "Armitage’s Wine Bar Lounge setting changes character as the night lengthens, with its Old World ambiance and intimate conversation areas providing a relaxing setting for winding down after the workday or enjoying a pre-dinner drink. As the evening progresses, the lights dim and the music picks up tempo, transforming the lounge into an energized nightspot."
AZ Wine Co.
Locations in Carefree and Scottsdale. Wine tastings and events. Named one of America's top 50 wine stores by GQ Magazine in April 2004.
DownUnder Wines
From the web site: "DownUnder Wines invites you to experience the Australian flair for creating wine, which are amongst the best produced in the world today, enjoying a long standing reputation for their high quality and affordable prices."
Epicurean Wine
From Epicurean Wine: Offering one of the largest wine selections in Arizona with more than 750 varieties of domestic and imported wines. The bar offers wine by the glass or the bottle (no corkage fees) plus hosted wine tastings every Friday and most Thursdays and Saturdays. Located in Scottsdale at the southwest corner of Scottsdale and Thunderbird roads.
Kazimierz World Wine Bar
From Kazimierz World Wine Bar: "comfortably plush sofas & chairs in vineyard colors, stone walls softened by candlelight; wooden wine casks evoke the feel of a European wine cave; subtle lighting; interesting mix of jazz, latin & world beat music at levels that don't strain conversation!" Recipient of the 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 & 2006 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and the 2003 Wine Spectator Best Of Award of Excellence.
Sportman's Fine Wines & Spirits
Locations in Phoenix, Glendale and Scottsdale. From Sportman's: "Sportman's Fine Wines & Spirits is Arizona’s oldest & largest independent fine wines, premium spirits & quality beer emporium. In addition to our cellar inventory of 3,000+ different domestic & imported wines, we feature an extensive selection of premium distilled spirits and micro & macro-brewed beers from around the world."
Sweet O Wine & Chocolate Lounge
Read my review of Sweet O Wine & Chocolate Lounge
Glendale. From Sweet O Wine & Chocolate Lounge: "We're excited to bring you a huge selection of wines, almost exclusively hard-to-locate, special items that you won't find in your local retailer, in addition to our menu of gourmet chocolates, pure chocolate fondues, pastries, and food items like our awesome appetizer menu and our selection of Panini!" About 200 wines available for retail sale, and
most are discounted when purchased to go.
Su Vino Winery
Scottsdale. From the web site: "Su Vino Winery, Scottsdale, is a family owned and operated winery located in the Arts District of Downtown Scottsdale. Su Vino is an award winning winery with a twist, not only have we won over 36 medals for our wines, but we are the first winery in the Scottsdale area and the first to offer customers the opportunity to have wine made specifically for them and their palate. "
Tapino Kitchen & Wine Bar
Scottsdale. From Tapino: "Never been to a wine tasting? Been to a hundred but never tire of them? Thursday Night Flight School at Tapino covers all the bases, allowing the novice to discover wine in a casual setting while giving wine geeks a chance to show their stuff."
WineStyles
Scottsdale, Peoria Avondale. From WineStyles: "Using eight different taste categories, WineStyles defines each wine it sells by the flavor profile it best represents. Styles include; Bold, Mellow & Fruity for red wines and Crisp, Silky & Rich for white wines, with Nectar describing the sweet dessert styles wines and Bubbly including champagnes and carbonated wines."
There are also stores that are not exclusively liquor or wine stores where you will find a nice selections of wines. Here are my three favorite spots:
A J's Fine Foods
From the web site:
"Every year for the last 18 years AJ's Fine Foods has brought to you a selection of 50 or more wines retailing under $11.99. This year is no different. All of our Cellar Masters have sampled and rated wines with great taste, structure and value....Wines from South America, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Germany, and California are represented on the list; which includes varieties such as Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Mourvèdre, Chardonnay, Viognier, Muscat, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc." A J's Fine Foods has eight locations in the metro Phoenix area.
Cost Plus World Market
From the web site:
"Our buyers travel the world visiting remote villages, centuries-old factories and foreign bazaars searching for unique products to offer our customers. Baskets from Bali, chocolates from Belgium, pottery from Portugal, and wine from around the world."
Seven locations in the Valley.
Trader Joe's
From the web site:
"For those of you who don't know us well yet, our initial reason for being in the business of selling wine is we want to offer our customers good wines for a great deal. Whether it's a very well priced Chard from Australia or a robust red from Chile, we want to be the ones who offer those options at an outstanding value."
Nine locations in the Valley. Trader Joe's is a grocery store that is a favorite of those who are looking for vegetarian, Kosher, organic and other specialty foods.
All prices and offerings are subject to change without notice.
