Anson 11
Local Roots, Global Reach, Desert Surprise
Downtown · El Paso · American Bistro · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 11, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walking into a historic Downtown El Paso building and finding Mesilla Valley Pinot Noir alongside Madeira and Canadian Icewine on the same list is not something we expected. This isn't a wine bar pretending to be a restaurant — it's a bistro that clearly has someone with taste calling the shots. The price points alone tell you the intention here is access, not intimidation.
Selection Deep Dive
The list punches well above its weight for a mid-sized Texas border city bistro. You get local pride with two Mesilla Valley pours from right down the road, Old World credibility via Toro, Bordeaux, and Portugal, and a dessert wine section that most full-service restaurants twice this size neglect entirely. The inclusion of Inniskillin Vidal Icewine in both an approachable glass pour and a splurge-tier bottle is a bold and genuinely interesting move. The gap is on the white and sparkling side — we see Pascal Jolivet listed but the fuller picture is thin, and we'd love more depth there.
By the Glass
Glass pours run from $11 for the Broadbent Rainwater Madeira up to splurge territory, which tells us this list is structured for real exploration, not just Cab-or-Chard autopilot. The local Zin Valle Pinot Noir at $15 by the glass is the obvious conversation starter and probably the most interesting pour you'll find in El Paso at that price. We'd like to see a tighter rotation with more whites and a sparkling option, but what's here is genuinely worth ordering.
Numanthia Termes Tempranillo 2021 — $17
Numanthia is one of the benchmark names in Toro — a region that produces some of Spain's most powerful, age-worthy Tempranillo. Getting this on a glass pour at $17 is a genuine steal. Retail on this bottle usually runs $20-25, so the markup is almost nonexistent. Order two.
Broadbent Rainwater Madeira N/V
Madeira gets ignored at nearly every restaurant in America, and at $11 a glass most people walk right past it. Rainwater is the lightest, most approachable style — nutty, oxidative, and unlike anything else on this list. It's a conversation-starter and a genuine steal. Don't sleep on it.
Inniskillin Vidal Pearl Label Icewine 2021
At $145 a glass, the Pearl Label Icewine is a serious luxury pour — and while Inniskillin is a legitimate icewine producer, that's a steep ask for a dessert wine glass in a bistro setting. Unless you're celebrating something significant, the standard Inniskillin Vidal at $21 gets you most of the experience at a fraction of the price.
Zin Valle Pinot Noir 2021 + Bistro Charcuterie Board
A local Mesilla Valley Pinot with a charcuterie spread is the easy win here — the wine's bright acidity and lighter body cut through cured meats without fighting them, and there's something genuinely satisfying about drinking something made 45 minutes up the road while you're in it.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Anson 11 is quietly doing something special for El Paso's wine scene — a thoughtful, fair-priced list with local producers, Iberian depth, and a dessert wine section that embarrasses most bigger-city restaurants. Send your friends, order the Termes, and tell them about the Madeira.
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