The Big Spend List That Earns It
Downtown ¡ Minneapolis ¡ Steakhouse, Seafood ¡ Visit Website â
Updated June 2026
Reviewed March 29, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at 801 Chophouse lands like a leather-bound declaration of intent â this is a room that takes Cabernet seriously. Five hundred to eight hundred labels deep, anchored in Napa and Bordeaux, it's the kind of list that makes you want to call your most wine-obsessed friend and split a bottle you'd never order alone. It is not a casual list, and it does not pretend to be.
Napa Valley is the undisputed center of gravity here, with heavy hitters like Opus One, Caymus Special Selection, and Screaming Eagle occupying the prestige tier â the kind of wines that show up on lists when a steakhouse wants to signal seriousness. Bordeaux and Burgundy add genuine Old World depth, with Chateau Margaux representing the kind of inclusion that tells you someone with actual knowledge built this list. Sonoma gets a seat at the table too, with Kistler's Chardonnay a smart counterweight to all the big reds. The gaps are real â natural wine, anything from the Southern Hemisphere, or anything under $60 is essentially not the point here â but within its lane, this list is genuinely impressive.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a strong showing for a steakhouse of this caliber, and the program appears to lean into the same prestige-forward approach as the bottle list. You're not going to find funky pÊt-nat here, but if you want a proper glass of something serious before committing to a bottle, 801 has you covered. Rotation intel is limited, but with a sommelier on staff, the program gets the benefit of the doubt.
Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon â $120
In a list stacked with four-figure trophy bottles, Silver Oak Napa is the move for anyone who wants to drink well without financing a second mortgage. It's a legitimately great wine for this food, and at a steakhouse where Screaming Eagle is on the menu, Silver Oak almost feels like a bargain.
Kistler Chardonnay
Every table around you is ordering big Cabernet, which means Kistler's Chardonnay is sitting there quietly being spectacular and largely ignored. It's one of California's best whites â rich, layered, nothing like the flabby Chardonnay people think they're avoiding â and it's the right call before those Double Cut Lamb Chops arrive.
Screaming Eagle
Look, it's a great wine. But at a restaurant markup on a bottle that already retails in the stratosphere, you're paying a significant premium for the name recognition and the story you'll tell at brunch. The wine is real; the value proposition at a restaurant price is not.
Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon + Double Cut Colorado Lamb Chops
Caymus Special Selection is a big, plush, fruit-forward Cab that needs something with enough fat and char to match its weight. The Double Cut Lamb Chops â rich, seared, with that Colorado lamb sweetness â give it exactly the push it needs. This is the combination you came here for.
đĨ The Bottom Line
801 Chophouse is an unabashedly expensive wine experience built for people who want Napa's greatest hits alongside USDA Prime beef, and it largely delivers on that promise. The markups will sting and there's no half-price reprieve in sight, but the depth, the staff, and the quality of the list make it a legitimate Rager for the right occasion.
North Loop / Warehouse District ¡ Minneapolis ¡ Modern Argentinian Steakhouse
Porzana punches above its class for a Minneapolis steakhouse â the Italian and Argentine selections show genuine curation, and the Fenocchio Barolo alone justifies a serious wine order. Just go in with eyes open on markups and skip the entry-level bottles unless you're pouring by the glass.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lowry Hill ¡ Minneapolis ¡ Steakhouse and Wood-Fired Pizza
Burch has the bones of a genuinely great wine program â knowledgeable staff, proper storage, and a list that respects the classics â but the pricing strategy on the mid-tier and entry-level bottles will test your patience. Go big or go home: the value-to-quality ratio only really clicks once you're spending $200+.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / North Loop ¡ Minneapolis ¡ New American / Contemporary American
112 Eatery's wine list is punching well above its weight for a Minneapolis neighborhood bistro, with a genuinely distinctive Old World focus and producers that belong on serious lists anywhere in the country. The markups sting on a few bottles, but the curation earns enough goodwill to keep us coming back.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Uptown ¡ Minneapolis ¡ French Bistro
Barbette is a wine list built by someone who actually drinks wine and wants you to as well â it's small, French, and surprisingly legit for a neighborhood bistro in Uptown. If you're a natural wine fan or just someone who wants good Beaujolais with steak frites, send your friends here.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Loring Park ¡ Minneapolis ¡ New American
Cafe Lurcat is a reliable, well-staffed wine program in one of Minneapolis's prettiest dining rooms â just know you're paying a premium for the address and the ambiance. Ask the sommelier for help navigating the list and you'll drink well; go on autopilot and order the obvious Napa Cab and you'll leave having spent more than you should have.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Southwest Minneapolis (Fulton) ¡ Minneapolis ¡ Italian, fresh housemade pasta
Broders' Pasta Bar isn't a wine destination, but it's exactly the kind of neighborhood spot that gets the wine list right by staying in its lane. Fair prices, Italian focus, solid glass pours â bring a friend who orders by the bottle and you're in good shape.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
St. Johns Town Center ¡ Jacksonville ¡ Steakhouse, Seafood
The Capital Grille Jacksonville is a dependable, well-run wine program that plays it safe at every turn â if you came here for discovery, you're at the wrong restaurant. But if you came for a proper steak, a knowledgeable server, and a California red that won't embarrass you in front of a client, this place delivers.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Heart of Amarillo ¡ Amarillo ¡ Steakhouse, Seafood
Cellar 55 is doing something genuinely interesting with its Spanish-leaning wine program in a city that didn't ask for it â and that takes guts. The markups keep it from true glory, but if you're eating steak in Amarillo and want something more thoughtful than the usual suspects, this is your place.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Fort Myers ¡ Fort Myers ¡ Steakhouse, Seafood
Connors is a reliable steakhouse wine list that handles the basics with confidence but never asks you to think too hard. Send your parents here â just steer them toward the Roederer and away from the Dom.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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