Marx Cafe

You don't expect to open a wine list in Anchorage and land on Au Bon Climat or a Joh. Jos. Prüm Mosel with serious vintage depth — and yet here we are. Marx Cafe doesn't look like a wine destination, but whoever built this list clearly cares. That alone earns some goodwill before we get to the pricing.

The list skews toward Burgundy, Italy, and sparkling, which is a perfectly respectable triangle to build around. Producers like Au Bon Climat and Cameron's Clos Electrique signal that someone with actual taste made these choices — these aren't bulk-buy filler bottles. There are reportedly older Italian treasures hiding in the mix too, which for a New American spot in Alaska borders on remarkable. The gaps show — we're not looking at a deep cellar — but what's here is chosen with intention.

Fifteen pours plus at least two sparkling options is a genuinely strong by-the-glass program for a restaurant of this type and location. That count gives you real range to explore without committing to a bottle, and the presence of bubbles by the glass in multiple forms is always a good sign. We'd love to know how often the selection rotates, but the sheer volume suggests this isn't an afterthought.