225 Bottles Deep and Not Playing Around
· Irvine · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · October 4, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Bourbon Steak Orange County’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Two hundred and twenty-five labels is a serious statement for any steakhouse, and Bourbon Steak Orange County backs it up with range that goes well beyond the predictable Napa Cab parade. The list opens with a sparkling section that could embarrass most dedicated wine bars, and it only gets more interesting from there.
The Champagne and sparkling section alone has real depth — Chartogne-Taillet, Gaston Chiquet, Aubry Rosé, and a custom cuvée made specifically for Michael Mina sit alongside the expected prestige bottles. Beyond bubbles, the list reaches into Mosel Riesling (Loewen Kabinett), Pouilly-Fumé (Régis Minet Vieilles Vignes), Friuli Ribolla Gialla (Le Monde), and Santa Barbara Pinot Noir (A Tribute to Grace), which is a far cry from the usual steakhouse playbook. DuMol Wester Reach and Sandhi round out a genuinely thoughtful California white section, and the dessert wine program — Royal Tokaji 5 Puttonyos, Fonseca 20-Year Tawny, Rare Wine Co. Malmsey Madeira — is the kind of thing you rarely see executed with this level of care. The main gap is visibility into the full red wine and bottle-only sections, but what's confirmed here is already well above average.
Thirty-one by-the-glass options is an unusually generous program, and the quality of what's poured is notable — this isn't a list padded with bulk wine to hit a number. Prices range from $15 for the Le Monde Ribolla Gialla up to $138 for Louis Roederer Cristal, which means the program covers everything from casual weeknight pours to serious splurges in the same sitting.
The Bottom Line
Bourbon Steak Irvine is running one of the most ambitious wine programs in Orange County — 225 labels, 31 by the glass, and a list with genuine personality beyond the expected steakhouse anchors. Markups get steep at the top end, but the by-the-glass range at the $15–$32 tier offers real drinking at fair prices. If you care about what's in your glass, this list rewards the attention.
· Irvine · New American
Reunion Kitchen isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list proves it. Three by-the-glass pours from mass-market California producers, priced at a premium — this is a wine program on autopilot. Order a cocktail or a beer and save the wine for somewhere that actually thought about it.
Grocery Store
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Set & Forget
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Corona del Mar · Irvine · New American and Seafood
CdM is genuinely worth your Wednesday. Half-price wine on an already polished dinner menu is a real offer, and the room alone justifies a reservation. We just can't tell you which bottle to order yet — the wine program is opaque enough that you'd be flying blind without a server who actually knows the list. Come for the Dirty Pasta and the vibe; if the wine follows, consider it a bonus.
Plays It Safe
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Irvine Business Complex · Irvine · Northern Italian Steakhouse
Davio's Irvine is the wine list equivalent of a reliable business-class seat — comfortable, well-organized, and priced at a premium you'll notice. The by-the-glass program is the real strength here; thirty options with some genuinely good producers mixed in means you can eat well and drink reasonably well in the same visit. If you're hoping to geek out on the bottle list or find anything that'll make you lean forward in your chair, keep looking — but for a weeknight dinner or a client meal, this gets the job done without embarrassing anyone.
Crowd Pleasers
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South Coast Plaza · Irvine · Seafood
Water Grill South Coast Plaza has built a white-wine-forward list that's genuinely well-suited to what's on the plate — smart European picks alongside reliable California anchors, and enough BTG options to keep things interesting across a long meal. Markups run steep in places, especially on the recognizable names, but the value plays are there if you know where to look. For a seafood-focused dinner in Irvine, this is one of the better wine programs you'll find without driving to the coast.
Solid Range
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· Irvine · Eclectic American
Rutabegorz isn't trying to be a wine destination — and that's fine, because the pricing is honest enough that wine actually works here as a casual add-on rather than a line item you regret. If you're eating here, order the Rancho Sisquoc Riesling and feel slightly smarter than the table next to you ordering the Josh.
Crowd Pleasers
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Willing but Green
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· Irvine · Health-focused New American
True Food Kitchen Irvine's wine list won't offend anyone, but it also won't excite anyone. It's a safe, corporate-approved selection built for wide appeal — which fits the brand but leaves real wine drinkers doing a lot of the heavy lifting. If you're here, order the Tablas Creek and move on with your evening.
Crowd Pleasers
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· Greensboro · Steakhouse
Fleming's Greensboro is doing more than most chain steakhouses bother to do with wine — 42 by-the-glass options and actual Alsatian whites on a Greensboro wine list deserves acknowledgment. The markups are real and the list isn't going to surprise anyone who's been to a Fleming's before, but if you're eating a bone-in ribeye and want a proper glass without guesswork, this delivers.
Crowd Pleasers
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· Irvine · Steakhouse
The Capital Grille Costa Mesa is exactly what it is: a well-run corporate steakhouse with a Champagne list that punches above the room's ambition and a Chardonnay section that covers the safe California bases reliably. Markups are steep throughout and the list doesn't take any risks, but if you know what you want — a glass of Hartford Court or a bottle of Schramsberg before your steak — you'll be fine. Just don't come looking for discovery.
Plays It Safe
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· Honolulu · Steakhouse
The Capital Grille Hawaii's wine list does what the brand does everywhere — it's safe, corporate, and priced to capture resort-market margins. The Champagne selection is genuinely deep and includes some worthwhile picks like the Paul Bara and the Llopart Cava, but markups are steep and there's little here to excite anyone looking beyond the obvious. If you're here for a steak and want bubbles, you'll find something that works — just don't expect the list to dazzle you.
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