California Cabs Rule This Memphis Steak House
Memphis · Steak House · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed April 24, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Char Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Char reads like a greatest hits album from the Napa Valley class of the 90s — Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Opus One. It's polished, it's predictable, and it's clearly built to satisfy a steakhouse crowd that knows what it wants and isn't interested in surprises.
California Cabernet is the clear center of gravity here, and Char leans into it hard with heavy hitters like Far Niente, Stag's Leap, and Chateau Montelena anchoring the list. France gets a respectable nod — Chateau Margaux and Chateau Lynch-Bages for the Bordeaux faithful, plus Louis Jadot holding down the Burgundy corner — but this is not a list built for the curious explorer. The 150-250 bottle range gives it some depth, but the selections skew toward recognizable labels over interesting producers. If you came looking for Jura or Ribera del Duero, keep looking.
With 12-20 pours available, the by-the-glass program is functional and steakhouse-appropriate, even if it doesn't stray far from the script. Expect the usual suspects — a Cab, a Chardonnay, maybe a Pinot — but don't expect much rotation or adventure. It gets the job done for a glass before your ribeye arrives.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $80
Jordan consistently punches above its price point in a sea of Napa names that charge twice as much for half the soul. On a list where bottles climb well past $300, Jordan is the move for a crowd-pleasing Cab that actually shows some restraint and finesse.
Chateau Lynch-Bages
Most people at a Memphis steakhouse are reaching for Caymus on autopilot. Lynch-Bages is a Pauillac fifth growth that routinely drinks like a second — structured, complex, and built for red meat. It gets overlooked next to Margaux's name recognition, but it's the smarter order at the table.
Opus One
Opus One is a steakhouse flex, not a wine choice. You're paying a significant premium for the label on a list where the markup is already working against you. The wine is fine — it's always fine — but the value equation doesn't hold up when Jordan and Lynch-Bages are sitting right there.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon + Crab Cakes
Counterintuitive, maybe, but Stag's Leap Cab has enough elegance and cherry-fruit softness that it doesn't bulldoze delicate crab. It's the rare Napa Cab that can bridge surf and turf without the crab waving a white flag.
The Bottom Line
Char is a dependable, well-executed steakhouse wine list that earned its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence by doing the classics right — but it's not trying to surprise you, and it won't. Send a friend here for a special occasion Cab and a steak; just don't expect the list to spark any new obsessions.
Midtown · Memphis · Steak House
Porch and Parlor is a reliable Southern steakhouse wine list that plays to its crowd — if you love California Cabernet with your dry-aged beef, you're in the right place. It won't challenge you, but it'll take care of you.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Memphis · Memphis · American, French
Chez Philippe is the wine list of a well-run fine dining institution that has been doing this right for 30 years — not a revelation, but reliably good and properly stored in a room that knows how to use it. Send a friend here if they want California Cab with a French menu inside one of Memphis's great hotels; don't send them if they're looking for anything off the beaten path.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Cooper-Young · Memphis · Italian
Bari is the kind of Italian wine program Memphis deserves more of — specific, serious, and fairly priced for what you're getting. If you're anywhere near Cooper-Young and want to drink real Italian wine with real Italian food, this is the move.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Unknown · Memphis · Bistro
Hu. Bistro isn't trying to be a wine destination, but its by-the-glass list is priced fairly and built with more care than you'd expect from a hotel rooftop. If you're in Memphis and want a decent glass without getting gouged for the privilege, this works.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · Memphis · New American
The Beauty Shop is a Wild Card in the best possible way — a funky, retro-cool restaurant with a wine list that has no business being this thoughtful. Markups keep it from greatness, but the glass pour selection and genuine regional variety make it worth ordering a bottle or three.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Memphis · Memphis · Seafood, Cajun & Creole
Half Shell is a genuinely charming spot with food worth coming back for — but the wine list is coasting hard on the restaurant's atmosphere and doing almost nothing to earn its markups. Drink the Vinho Verde, skip the red wine section entirely, and put your money toward another round of oysters.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Washington · Washington · Steak House
A 20-wine by-the-glass list with every pour between $14 and $30, split across four sparkling, six white, two rosé and eight red. With a steak, start with the $26 Clos Duval Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon or the $22 Monte Antico Supremus; for the cheapest glass, take the $14 Dr. Loosen Riesling. Pour sizes aren't posted and the page is undated, so confirm today's wines. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Chicago Loop · Chicago · Steak House
A Napa-leaning Cabernet list with a Library & Reserve section that reaches 3,098 and glass pours from $13.99 to $49.99. Start with the $15.99 Broadbent Cabernet by the glass, or the $41.99 Stag's Leap Artemis if the ribeye is on the table, and confirm current availability since the list does not guarantee vintages. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Union Square · San Francisco · Steak House
A glass list that does the steakhouse job: 36 pours, a tidy Napa Cabernet set and prices from $13. Order the $15 Beringer Cabernet with your steak, or the $14 Guado Al Tasso Vermentino if you are starting with seafood, and confirm availability since the page is undated and Morton's says pricing may vary. This unrated guide covers the posted glass list, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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