Burgundy-anchored and built to impress
Gold Coast · Chicago · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 11, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Brass Tack’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The list lands like a serious statement — 300 to 500 bottles anchored in Burgundy, Bordeaux, and California, with enough firepower to make a wine director blush. This is not a list that happened by accident. Someone at Brass Tack actually cares, and it shows from the first page.
The French backbone is the real story here: Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage from the Rhône, Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet from Burgundy, and Château Lynch-Bages from Pauillac give the list legitimate old-world credibility. California holds its own with Kistler Vineyards, Ridge Monte Bello, and Opus One — the kind of names that justify a special occasion splurge. DRC appearing on a list in a modern American dining room on Walton Street is a flex, full stop. The gaps are real — no obvious Southern Hemisphere or natural wine presence — but within its lane, this list is deep and deliberately curated.
Twenty to thirty-five by-the-glass options is an ambitious pour program, with glasses running $14 to $22 — reasonable for the Gold Coast and for the caliber of wine on offer. We'd want to know how often the BTG list rotates, since a static pour program at this level is a missed opportunity. What's here is quality; we just hope someone's keeping it fresh.
Krug Grande Cuvée — $250
Yes, it's a splurge — but Krug Grande Cuvée retails around $200-plus and getting it in a proper dining room with the right glassware at this price is closer to fair than the markups you'd see elsewhere in Chicago's fine dining corridor. If you're celebrating, this is the bottle.
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage
Most tables at a place like this gravitate toward the Burgundy or the Napa Cab. The Chave Hermitage is the move the regulars are quietly making — one of the Rhône's greatest addresses, full stop, and it tends to fly under the radar when DRC is listed a few rows above it.
Opus One
Opus One is fine wine, but it's also the most aggressively marketed Napa Cabernet on the planet. Restaurants mark it up hard because they can, and guests order it because the name lands. With Ridge Monte Bello on the same list, there's a better, more interesting California red that actually rewards curiosity. Save the Opus One spend for one of the French bottles.
Ridge Monte Bello + Dry-aged beef
Ridge Monte Bello is a Cabernet-dominant Santa Cruz Mountain blend with the structure and earth tones to handle serious red meat. It's the California answer to a Left Bank Bordeaux — tannic, focused, and built for exactly this kind of pairing.
The Bottom Line
Brass Tack has the bones of a genuinely great wine program — a Best of Award of Excellence since 2019 backed by producers like Chave, Leflaive, and Kistler doesn't lie. The pricing runs steep in spots, but if you're eating on Walton Street, you already knew the neighborhood.
West Loop · Chicago · Californian
The Oakville Grill earns its Wine Spectator credential and the sommelier duo makes this list accessible, not intimidating. Wednesday half-price wine night alone is reason enough to get a reservation — just let go of the idea that anything other than California is on the agenda.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
Lincoln Park · Chicago · American
John's is a neighborhood spot that punches well above its casual format — two sommeliers, a thoughtful France-and-California list, fair prices, and half-price bottles every Monday. Send your friends here, especially on a Monday.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
River North · Chicago · American, Seafood
Terrace 16 earns its Wine Spectator badge and delivers a respectable, California-and-France-focused list in one of Chicago's most dramatic dining rooms. Just don't expect to be surprised — the wine is as reliable as the skyline view, and nearly as expensive.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
River North · Chicago · French, Indian
Indienne is the Wild Card in the truest sense — a fusion kitchen with a genuinely considered wine program that earns its Wine Spectator nod. Yes, send a friend here for wine, but make sure they skip the Napa Cab and lead with Riesling.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
West Loop · Chicago · Steak house
BLVD Steakhouse doesn't reinvent the steakhouse wine list, but it executes the formula competently — solid producers, proper storage, and enough range to keep a table of Cab loyalists happy all night. Just go in with your eyes open on the markups and skip the trophy-bottle trap.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Magnificent Mile · Chicago · American
Adorn is a reliable, well-staffed wine program in a high-overhead setting — you're paying for the view and the address, but the list itself is legitimate. Send a friend here who wants solid French and California bottles without doing homework first.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Eagle Ranch · Vail · American
The Wild Sage is your dependable neighborhood spot in Eagle Ranch — the wine list won't blow your mind, but it won't embarrass you at dinner either. Watch the markups on the top-shelf Napa bottles and stick to the mid-range, and you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Waterfront · Traverse City · American
Warehouse Kitchen + Cork won't win any awards for depth or ambition, but it plays its hand honestly — fair prices, solid local representation, and a full by-the-glass program that respects your wallet. If you're in Traverse City and want a glass of something local with a water view, this works.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Truckee · Truckee · American
Sunnyside is a casual lodge restaurant wearing a serious wine list under its flannel — the markup is steep and it won't win any awards for staff expertise, but the producer lineup is legitimately impressive for where you're sitting. If you're already at the lake, this is absolutely worth ordering a real bottle.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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