Napa Royalty Meets Desert Steakhouse Swagger
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · American, Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 5, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Bourbon Steak Scottsdale arrives like a second menu — and it kind of is. Four to six hundred selections organized around the heavy hitters of California and France, this is a list that means business before you've touched the bread basket. Wine Spectator has handed out their Best of Award of Excellence here every year since 2015, and one look at the book tells you why.
California Cabernet is the engine driving this list, and it pulls hard — Opus One, Caymus Special Selection, Shafer Hillside Select, Harlan Estate, Screaming Eagle, and Peter Michael are all present if your wallet can take the hit. Burgundy holds its own on the other side of the ledger, with Domaine de la Romanée-Conti making an appearance alongside Louis Jadot for those who want the romance without the four-figure receipt. Bordeaux is represented by heavy hitters like Château Margaux and Château Lafite Rothschild, and Italy and the broader French landscape fill in the gaps with enough depth to reward genuine exploration. The list skews heavily prestige, which means rare finds are baked in — but so are some serious markups.
With 20 to 35 pours available by the glass, there's real range here — enough to work through a meal without committing to a bottle, which is genuinely useful in a steakhouse context. The program leans into the same California-forward identity as the full list, so expect Napa and Sonoma to dominate the pour options. Rotation appears limited — this reads more like a curated standing program than a list that changes with the seasons.
Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon — $120
In a list crowded with cult Napa at stratospheric prices, Silver Oak is the move for steak night — reliably excellent, widely available so you know you're not overpaying for mystery, and it drinks way above its weight class on a list where bottles start climbing fast.
Duckhorn Vineyards
Easy to overlook when Screaming Eagle and Harlan are sitting on the same page, but Duckhorn consistently delivers structured, food-friendly Cabernet and Merlot that holds its own next to a bone-in ribeye without demanding you refinance anything.
Château Lafite Rothschild
A trophy bottle in a trophy restaurant — you're paying for the name as much as the wine, and restaurant markup on First Growth Bordeaux at a resort steakhouse is brutal. If you want a serious Bordeaux moment, spend the energy finding something further down the classified list.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon + Filet Mignon
Stag's Leap is built for this — plush, structured, with enough dark fruit and fine tannin to match the tenderness of a filet without steamrolling it. It's classic California Cab doing exactly what it was born to do.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Bourbon Steak Scottsdale is the real deal — a deep, California-dominant list anchored by serious sommeliers and the kind of glassware that tells you the kitchen isn't the only thing they take seriously. Markups are steep, as expected at a resort steakhouse, but if you navigate smart, this is one of the best bottles-with-dinner experiences in the Valley.
Old Town Scottsdale · Scottsdale · American
Frasher's isn't reinventing the steakhouse wine list, but it's doing the job with a Wine Spectator credential and a Wednesday half-price night that makes the steep markups a lot easier to live with. Send a friend here if they want a reliable California Cab with their red meat — just tell them to go on Wednesday.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
DC Ranch · Scottsdale · American, Small Plates
The Living Room isn't trying to reinvent wine — it's trying to make California Cab and Chardonnay feel like an event, and it mostly succeeds. Send your friends here for a comfortable, well-staffed wine experience; just remind them to drink the Duckhorn.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · French
The Mick Brasserie is a dependable, well-staffed wine destination dressed up as a casual neighborhood spot — a genuinely rare combo in Scottsdale. The markups keep it from being a great deal, but the sommelier team and the quality of the list make it worth showing up for.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · American, Steakhouse
STK Scottsdale is a reliable California wine destination — not a discovery, but a dependable one. If you're here for Wagyu and a bottle of Stag's Leap, you will not leave disappointed; just don't expect the list to surprise you.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Italian
Marcellino is doing something genuinely uncommon in Scottsdale — a disciplined, Italy-first wine program with real producers and a sommelier who clearly cares. Markups tip steep on the prestige bottles, but the depth of the list earns it a spot on your list if Italian wine is your thing.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Scottsdale isn't trying to be a wine bar, and it doesn't need to be — the list is purpose-built for red meat and it delivers. Markups lean steep on the trophy bottles, but the Argentine and Chilean selections give you a real path to drinking well without getting gouged.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
Downtown Denver · Denver · American, Steakhouse
Range is a confident, well-kept steakhouse list that won't surprise you but absolutely won't let you down — especially if California Cabs are your language. Just come in with your eyes open on pricing, and let Dan steer you toward the Jordan.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Geneva · Geneva · American, Steakhouse
The James is a dependable California-focused steakhouse list that earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for doing one thing consistently well. If you're there for the beef and the big reds, you'll leave satisfied — just go in with your eyes open on the markups.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Sauk City · Sauk City · American, Steakhouse
A Wisconsin supper club earning a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence is genuinely surprising, and Green Acres earns it by stocking a focused, California-forward list that's built for exactly the kind of food it serves. It won't impress the natural wine crowd, but it'll take great care of anyone who wants a proper bottle with a proper steak in a historic room off the highway.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.