Cheers to Three Years at Sorso Wine Room!

The Place: Sorso Wine Room
Location: Scottsdale Quarter, 15323 N. Scottsdale Road
Hours: Tue-Sat 11 a.m. to 12 a.m., Sun-Mon 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
By: Shoshana Leon

Sorso Wine Room in Scottsdale offers comfy furnishings, a relaxing patio, tasty selections of bruschetta and charcuterie, and the ability to sorso (Italian for ‘sip’) the night away. The first time I visited Sorso, shortly after it opened in 2014, I was immediately drawn in by its Wine Wall which features 32 wine taps, allowing guests to enjoy self-service sampling. Since then, every time I go to Sorso, I go straight for that wall to try new wines and find new favorites, as the selections change regularly.

“We offer more wines by the sip, taste or pour than any other wine bar in the valley,” says co-owner and former professional baseball player Mark Teahen. “People really enjoy being able to walk up to the wine dispensers and create their own experience. The wine wall allows guests to try thirty-two carefully selected wines from all over the world in one and a half, three and six ounce options.”

Mark explained the impetus behind the idea. “After completing my Major League Baseball career, my wife Lauren and I took a trip to Italy to look into playing baseball overseas. As we were exploring Tuscany we stumbled upon a wine bar that featured wine dispensing machines and we fell in love with the idea. Knowing we were transitioning into our next phase of life we decided to try to bring some of our Italian experience to Scottsdale. We wanted to create a place that was comfortable and inviting while making wine more approachable.”

In addition to the wine wall, Sorso offers a classy, spacious dining area; great for groups, and knowledgeable servers who can walk you through the wines. They have more than 150 wines available by the bottle or glass, and an iPad at each table with information about the wines. Innovation at its finest!

To complement the wine, Sorso offers salads, sandwiches, charcuterie boards, and more than 15 sweet and savory bruschettas—my favorites include salami with pesto and parmesan, pancetta with sweet dates and tangy goat cheese, and strawberries with brie cheese and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Since its opening three years ago, Sorso has continued to evolve to meet the needs of its customers by, not just expanding its food menu, but also introducing specialty cocktails.

Sorso offers lunch specials and a Happy Hour menu Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. which includes two-for-one glasses of house pour wines and draft beers, half-off bottles of house pour wines, and discounted prices on select menu items. It also has a market with wine bottles 15% off menu prices, beer, local sweets and fun, wine-related accessories like pillows and decor. The restaurant has a semi-private area for small groups and a Wine Wagon that can bring the Sorso experience to you.

What’s next for Sorso? “We are rolling out an even more extensive menu soon,” says Mark. “We are always creating exciting events and are planning numerous wine and beer dinners. This summer we will also be introducing wine classes in our pursuit of making wine as approachable as possible.”

Sorso is celebrating its third year in business with specials April 2, 3 and 4. On Monday, April 2, guests can enjoy all-day happy hour prices. On April 3, as part of Arizona Gives Day , Sorso will donate 10% of sales to local nonprofits, Chrysalis and Crowns of Courage. On April 4, customers can enjoy $3 off all menu items, as well as music, prizes and more!

Cheers to Sorso for three years of wine, food and fun–and here’s to many more!

eat | drink | share | sorso