Bold Reds Built for Carnivore Season
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Brazilian Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 16, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Chama Gaucha arrives with the confidence of a gaucho wheeling a full skewer of picanha to your table — assertive, meat-forward, and not particularly interested in subtlety. It's a focused South American-leaning list with California cameos, clearly designed to serve one purpose: get bold red wine in front of people eating large quantities of beef. That's not a knock. It's a mission statement.
Argentina and Chile anchor the list, with Mendoza Malbec doing the heavy lifting — Catena Zapata and Clos de los Siete are the headliners, and they're solid choices that make sense here. Chile gets a proper nod with Concha y Toro's Don Melchor Cabernet, which is a genuinely serious bottle and one of the best reasons to open your wallet at this table. California shows up via Jordan Cabernet, a crowd-pleasing Sonoma name that earns its spot. Brazil gets a token presence, which is thematically appropriate but doesn't add much depth. There's no Old World to speak of, and if you're hunting for Burgundy or Barolo, you're at the wrong churrascaria.
Ten to sixteen pours by the glass is respectable for a steakhouse format, and the program sensibly skews toward reds that can stand up to charred meat. Don't expect much experimentation here — it's Malbec, Cab, and a handful of whites for the table members who drew the short straw. Rotation appears minimal; this is a set-it-and-forget-it glass program.
Clos de los Siete Malbec — $40
Michel Rolland's Mendoza blend punches well above its price point — it's structured enough to hold its own against picanha and priced at the low end of the list. Best QPR on the menu.
Concha y Toro Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon
Most tables at a churrascaria reach for Malbec on instinct, but Don Melchor is one of Chile's benchmark Cabs and a legitimately great bottle that gets overlooked because it's sitting next to more familiar names.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon
Jordan is a fine, reliable Sonoma Cab — but it's also available at nearly every steakhouse in America, and the markup here won't be doing you any favors. You can find this bottle at retail for much less. Spend up to Don Melchor instead.
Catena Zapata Malbec + Picanha
Picanha's rich fat cap and charred crust need a wine with enough fruit and structure to match — Catena Zapata's Malbec has the depth and dark berry weight to go toe-to-toe without getting lost. Classic combination, and it works every time.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Chama Gaucha's wine list is exactly what it needs to be: red-meat-ready, South American-first, and accessible without being embarrassing. It's not a destination for wine lovers, but it won't let you down if you stick to the Mendoza and Chilean anchors.
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 · Worcester · Brazilian Steakhouse
Alma Gaucha isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't pretend to be one — and that honesty is worth something. If you stick to the Zuccardi and the Don Melchor, you'll drink well enough to match the meat, and that's the whole point.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Bakersfield · Bakersfield · Brazilian Steakhouse
Flame & Fire Bakersfield is a reliable steakhouse wine list — it does what it's supposed to do without embarrassing itself. If you're coming for the meat, the Catena or the Quinta do Crasto will get you through the night with your wallet and your dignity intact.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Aurora City Center · Aurora · Brazilian Steakhouse
Texas de Brazil Aurora is a fine place to drink wine as long as you accept the list for what it is: a corporate steakhouse program that gets the job done without asking anything of you. Stick to the Malbec, skip the Chardonnay, and let the meat do the talking.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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