Anchorage

Carrabba's Anchorage isn't a wine destination — it's a chain doing a decent-enough job so you don't have to drink bad wine with your pasta. Lean toward the Il Borro bottles, steer clear of the Santa Margherita markup, and you'll leave satisfied.

Outback's wine list is a corporate afterthought — functional if you need something in a glass, but there's no reason to get excited about it. Order the steak, grab the Ste. Michelle Riesling if you're wine-curious, and save your real wine spending for somewhere that's trying.

Pioneer is a dependable downtown stop if you need a glass of something familiar before or after dinner, but don't come here expecting to be surprised. The wine list does exactly what the room asks of it — no more, no less.

Bridge Seafood is a solid spot to drink a reliable glass of California white while watching boats move through Ship Creek — just don't come expecting the wine list to match the drama of the view. Send a friend here for the halibut and the setting, and tell them to order the Sonoma-Cutrer.

Jens' is doing more with wine than almost anyone else in Anchorage, and the list holds up even against lower-48 fine dining comparisons. If you're eating dinner here — and you should be — trust the list.

Suite 100 won't win any wine awards, but it's a competent, low-fuss list that covers the bases in a city where that counts for something. Stick to La Crema or Benton Lane, avoid the Josh markup trap, and you'll drink fine.

49th State is a beer hall with a rooftop and a conscience about its wine pricing — and that last part earns it real respect. You're not coming here to geek out on Burgundy, but you won't be punished for ordering a glass of wine either.

Club Paris is worth visiting for the steaks and the atmosphere, but the wine list is a tax you pay rather than a pleasure you seek out. Order the Petit Filet, drink carefully, and don't expect the wine to match the room's charm.

Pizza Olympia isn't a wine destination, but it's an honest one — and the Greek selections alone make it worth ordering a bottle instead of defaulting to beer. If you're eating here anyway, the wine list will treat you right.

Marx Cafe is the wine list you don't see coming — thoughtful producers, real depth in spots, and a by-the-glass count that outperforms most of its competition in any market. Watch the markups on the cheaper bottles and lean into the higher-end pours where the pricing actually gets fair.

Ginger is a genuinely good restaurant with a wine list that's content to coast. The food program is ambitious; the wine program is not. Come for the Pacific Rim cooking, order wine because you want something in the glass, and don't expect the list to keep pace with the kitchen.

Marx Bros. Cafe is the most surprising wine program we've encountered north of Seattle — a deeply curated, cellar-worthy list hiding inside an Anchorage institution. The entry-level markups sting, but if you're willing to spend up even a little, this list rewards you in ways that almost nothing else in Alaska can.

Glacier Brewhouse is a legitimately great spot for craft beer and Alaskan seafood — the wine list, however, is a monument to minimal effort and aggressive markups. Drink the beer, enjoy the halibut, and don't let anyone talk you into the Kim Crawford.

Whisky & Ramen is a Wild Card in the best sense — a fusion spot in downtown Anchorage that bothers to think about wine and mostly gets it right, even if the markups sting a little. Send a friend here for the ramen first, the whisky second, and the wine as a very welcome surprise.

Mitchell's is doing exactly what a Downtown Anchorage steakhouse should do — keeping bold Cabs cold, the steaks hot, and the list legible. It won't blow a wine nerd's mind, but the wine dinner program signals real effort, and you won't drink badly here as long as you steer clear of the Caymus reflex.

Anchorage Wine House is the kind of place wine people relocate to Alaska and immediately make their second home — a genuinely serious, curiosity-driven list operated by people who clearly care, in a city where that effort is extraordinary. If you're passing through Anchorage for any reason, you owe yourself a stop here.

Kincaid Grill is doing something genuinely commendable in a market where wine could easily be an afterthought — a fair, focused list with real producers and pricing that doesn't make you wince. Send your friends here, tell them to order the Cristom, and let them figure out the rest.

Crush is the kind of place that shouldn't exist where it exists, and that's exactly what makes it worth seeking out. If you're in Anchorage and you care about what's in your glass, you come here — full stop.

Simon & Seafort's is doing more with wine than you'd guess from the name, and the wine dinner program shows real intent — but the list is narrow, the pricing is Anchorage-expensive, and there's no depth beyond three curated producers. Go for the views and the seafood, let the Bertrand or WVV selections guide your pour, and keep expectations calibrated to where you are.

Seven Glaciers is a Wild Card in the best possible way — a genuinely deep, sommelier-driven list perched on a mountain in Alaska where the markup is real but so is the ambition. If you're making the trip, lean into it and order well.

The Crow's Nest is the most surprising wine destination in Alaska and one of the more impressive cellars you'll find at any hotel restaurant in the country. Markups keep it from a Rager badge, but if you're in Anchorage and serious about wine, there is nowhere else to go.

Sullivan's is a dependable, California-forward steakhouse list that delivers what it promises — recognizable names, proper storage, and a Wednesday half-price night that makes the markup sting a little less. You won't discover anything new here, but you will drink well with your ribeye.

Southside Bistro isn't going to change how you think about wine, but in Anchorage it's a genuinely dependable spot where the California list is well-maintained, fairly priced, and matched to a kitchen that gives those bottles something worthwhile to work with. Send your friends here and tell them to skip the Caymus.

A proper wine list in a genuinely unexpected place — if you're going to splurge on dinner in Anchorage, the Crow's Nest is where the wine program actually warrants it. The markups sting a little, but you're also drinking Kistler with a view of the Alaska Range, so maybe that's fine.

Altura Bistro is doing something genuinely rare — running a serious, award-winning wine program in one of the most logistically challenging restaurant markets in the country. If you're in Anchorage and you care about what's in your glass, this is your table.