Napa's Greatest Hits, Dressed to the Nines
Downtown Norfolk · Norfolk · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 25, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Byrd and Baldwin Bros. Steakhouse’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walking into Byrd and Baldwin, the wine list arrives like a formal introduction — thick, serious, and wearing a tuxedo. Two hundred-plus bottles, a sommelier on the floor, and a room that clearly takes the ritual of steak and Cabernet very personally. This is a place that believes in the classics, and the list doesn't try to hide it.
Napa Valley is the undisputed star here — Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Duckhorn, and Opus One anchor a Cabernet-forward lineup that reads like a greatest hits album for American fine dining. Bordeaux and Burgundy round things out on the Old World side, giving the list some geographic range without straying too far from the comfort zone. Don't come looking for Jura oddities or skin-contact anything — this list is built for prime dry-aged beef and guests who know what they want before they sit down. The depth is real, but the adventurousness is not.
Twenty to thirty pours by the glass is genuinely impressive for a steakhouse of this caliber, and the sommelier's presence means those selections are likely rotated with some intention. Expect the glass program to lean heavily on Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, which makes sense given the menu. If you're flying solo or want to explore before committing to a bottle, this is a solid setup.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — null
Jordan consistently overdelivers for its price point in the steakhouse context — it's structured enough for a ribeye but approachable enough that you're not waiting an hour for it to open up. In a lineup that includes Opus One, Jordan is the smart play for anyone who wants Napa Cab without the trophy-wine markup.
Duckhorn Merlot
Everyone in the room is ordering Cabernet, which means the Duckhorn Merlot just sits there waiting for someone paying attention. It's a serious wine — plummy, structured, with enough weight to hold up to the filet — and it almost always comes in cheaper than the marquee Cabs on a list like this. Don't let the M-word scare you off.
Opus One
Opus One is a genuinely great wine, but at a steakhouse with four-times retail markup, you're paying a significant premium for the name on the label. The dining room experience doesn't add anything to what's in the glass that you couldn't get from Jordan or Silver Oak for considerably less money. Save Opus One for a bottle shop and a night at home.
Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon + Prime dry-aged ribeye
Silver Oak's Alexander Valley Cab is built for exactly this moment — the vanilla-tinged oak, the dark fruit, the firm tannins that cut through the fat of a well-marbled dry-aged ribeye. It's a textbook pairing, and sometimes textbooks are right.
The Bottom Line
Byrd and Baldwin is a confident, polished steakhouse wine program that knows exactly what its guests want and delivers it without apology. If you came for Napa Cab and a bone-in strip, this list has your back — just watch the markups on the prestige bottles.
Downtown Norfolk · Norfolk · American
Mermaid Winery is a genuine wine destination that happens to be in Norfolk — and yes, that still surprises us a little. The pricing leans steep and the staff isn't running a Master Sommelier class, but the list is deep where it counts and Wednesday half-price night is one of the better wine deals in the region.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
Virginia Beach · Norfolk · Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Virginia Beach won't surprise you on wine, and a few markups are hard to forgive, but the depth is real and the by-the-glass program is better than most steakhouses at this price point. If you're here for a special occasion steak and want a bottle that won't embarrass the meal, you'll find it — just avoid the house pours and do a little homework first.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Norfolk · Norfolk · Gourmet Market & Wine Shop
Taste Unlimited is a gourmet market that quietly outclasses most sit-down restaurants on wine curation and blows them out completely on price. If you're in Norfolk and haven't figured out that this is also a wine stop, you've been leaving money on the table.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Governors Pointe · Norfolk · Southern American
Vintage Tavern has no business having a wine list this serious in a suburb of Norfolk — and we mean that as a high compliment. The markups take some of the shine off, but a sommelier on staff, 400 bottles, and a genuine Virginia section make this the best wine destination for miles around.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · Norfolk · French
Todd Jurich's Bistro is the most serious wine list in Norfolk, full stop — but you'll pay for that seriousness, especially on the French side. Go for the sommelier's guidance, order the Barboursville, and enjoy the fact that a room this focused on wine exists in downtown Norfolk at all.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Ghent · Norfolk · New American
Varia is doing something genuinely rare in a mid-sized market — building a wine program that would hold its own in Chicago or D.C. The markup isn't always charitable, but the depth, the cruvinet by-the-glass program, and the evident expertise on staff make this one worth the trip across town.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Plano · Steakhouse
Steve Fields clearly puts its energy into the kitchen, not the cellar — and at these price points, that imbalance is hard to ignore. Order the Evesham Wood if it's still there, and otherwise come for the steak, not the wine list.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · Steakhouse
Greystone is a reliable, if predictable, steakhouse wine list — the kind where you can always find something decent but you'll rarely be surprised. Skip the Opus splurge, order the Paradigm, and you'll walk out satisfied.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · Steakhouse
Morton's San Diego is spending more energy on the wedge salad than the wine list, and it shows. Come for the steak, order carefully, and don't expect much beyond the obvious.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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