Classic Steakhouse Pours That Actually Deliver
International Drive · Orlando · Seafood, Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Updated September 2026
Reviewed April 12, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Charley's Steak House’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Charley's opens with a confident lineup of California heavyweights — Caymus, Silver Oak, Opus One — and it's clear this place knows its audience. Dark wood, low lighting, and a room full of people celebrating something sets the stage for big red wine energy. Wine Spectator has recognized this list since 2023, and walking in, you can see why they bothered.
Two hundred to three hundred selections sounds like a lot until you realize a good chunk of the real estate is occupied by the California Cab canon — Stag's Leap, Beringer Private Reserve, Far Niente, Chateau Montelena — all solid choices, but not exactly adventurous. The Italian corner earns its keep with Sassicaia, Gaja Barbaresco, and Antinori Super Tuscans giving the list some actual personality. France gets a nod via Louis Jadot Burgundy and trophy bottles like Château Margaux, though at those prices you're firmly in special-occasion-or-expense-account territory. If you're hunting for grower Champagne, natural wine, or anything south of the equator, keep walking.
The by-the-glass program runs 12 to 20 options, which is a respectable spread for a steakhouse of this size. Wednesday's half-price wine night is the real headline here — come midweek, order a glass you'd normally talk yourself out of, and feel good about it. Don't expect the pours to rotate with the seasons, but the selection covers the basics well enough to get you through a ribeye without complaint.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — N/A — price not confirmed
Jordan consistently punches above its retail weight, and in a list full of four-figure showboats, it's the kind of bottle that actually makes sense to order at a steakhouse — structured, food-friendly, and recognizable enough that nobody at the table will question your call.
Gaja Barbaresco
Everyone at a steakhouse reaches for Cabernet on autopilot, but Gaja's Barbaresco is the move if you want something that will genuinely make the table stop talking. Complex, nervy, and built for red meat in a way most California Cabs just aren't — most diners walk right past it.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
At $160 a bottle you're paying a significant premium over what this wine costs anywhere else. Caymus is fine — it's crowd-pleasing, soft, and recognizable — but it's not a $160 bottle of wine. On a list with this much depth, spending that money on almost anything else is the smarter play.
Sassicaia 2021 + Bone-in Ribeye
Sassicaia's Cabernet-forward structure and high-toned acidity cut through the ribeye's fat exactly the way you want it to, and the Italian backbone adds complexity that a straight California Cab at this price point rarely matches. It's a splurge, but it's the right splurge for this dish.
Wednesday — Half-price wine night every Wednesday — the best reason to visit midweek.
The Bottom Line
Charley's is a dependable, well-stocked steakhouse list that earns its Wine Spectator badge without doing anything surprising — come on a Wednesday, avoid the Caymus, and aim for the Italian section. We'd send a friend here for a celebration dinner without hesitation, as long as they know to skip the obvious picks.
Winter Park · Orlando · Greek, Mediterranean
AVA MediterrAegean earns its Wine Spectator recognition by doing something genuinely rare in Florida: building a Greek-forward wine program with real depth and the staff to back it up. If you're eating here and not exploring the Greek section, you're missing the whole point.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Orlando · Orlando · French, Regional
The Boheme is the best wine list in the kind of restaurant Downtown Orlando needs more of — it's not groundbreaking, but it's honest, properly focused, and worthy of its Wine Spectator recognition. Send your friends here for a date night, order the Chablis to start, and resist the urge to default to Caymus.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
International Drive · Orlando · Brazilian Churrascaria
Texas de Brazil isn't a wine destination, but it's a smarter wine program than the I-Drive zip code would suggest, and Wednesday's half-price bottles make it a legitimate value play. Come for the meat, stay for the Achaval Ferrer.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Grande Lakes · Orlando · Italian, Mediterranean
Primo is a resort restaurant that takes its wine list seriously enough to back it up with a real sommelier and a WS credential — which puts it well ahead of most hotel dining rooms. Pricing is what it is in this zip code, but the Italian backbone and capable staff make it a genuinely good wine dinner if you pick smart.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Lake Nona · Orlando · Japanese
Nami is the kind of surprise that earns its Wine Spectator badge — a Japanese restaurant in Lake Nona that treats French wine with genuine seriousness, backed by a knowledgeable staff member who can actually guide you through it. Markups keep it from being a steal, but if you're eating omakase anyway, ordering from this list is the right call.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Orlando · Orlando · Brazilian Churrascaria
Chima's wine list does its job: it gives a celebratory crowd recognizable bottles that hold up to a carnivore's parade. If you're after discovery or value-hunting, look elsewhere — but if you want a solid Cab with your carved meats in a room that feels like a party, this delivers.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Georgetown · Washington · Seafood, Steakhouse
An unpriced list that is easier to read for what it offers than for what it costs. If you want Bordeaux, ask for the 2020 Margaux de Brane Cantenac, or look at the Brunello di Montalcino in Sommelier's Selections, and get the price before you commit. This unrated guide covers the posted Beverage Menu, not service, storage or markups.
Back Bay · Boston · Seafood, Steakhouse
A beverage book that covers a lot more than California: 19 glass pours up front, then Napa, Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Rhône and Piedmont behind them. If you are spending, look at the Kistler Les Noisetiers Chardonnay at $175; if you are not, the Zlatan Otok Plavac Mali is the lowest-priced full bottle at $39. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks list, not service, storage or markups.
Bend · Bend · Seafood, Steakhouse
Brickhouse posts a steakhouse list with a long Washington Cabernet section and 6 oz glass pours from $12. Start with the $12 Green Wing Cabernet by the glass, or step up to the Eyrie Estate Pinot Noir at 85 for a bottle; if you are spending, the Quilceda Creek Cabernets in the Washington section run 425 to 475. Confirm today's availability and prices; this unrated guide covers the posted wine 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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