Napa's Backyard, Bottled and Properly Priced
Downtown Napa · Napa · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 13, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Charlie Palmer Steak Napa’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Charlie Palmer Steak Napa and cracking open the wine list feels like the right move in the right zip code — you're sitting in wine country, and the list knows it. Three hundred to five hundred selections greet you with a confident mix of local heavy-hitters and Old World depth that earns its real estate on the table. This isn't a wine list that's just there to fill space; someone thought hard about it.
The Napa Valley Cabernet section is predictably strong — you'd expect nothing less a few blocks from some of the most famous vineyards on earth — but what keeps things interesting is the genuine Old World presence: Rhône Valley, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Spain, Germany, and Italy all show up with enough seriousness to satisfy anyone who doesn't want to go full California all night. West Coast Pinot Noir gets real coverage up and down the coast, which is a smart call for a steakhouse that also pushes seafood. The standout detail is the direct-from-the-winery back vintages, which give the list actual collectible depth instead of just current-release safe plays. Gaps are minimal — this is a grown-up list.
Twenty by-the-glass options running $12 to $45 is a serious pour program, not the usual six-wines-and-a-rosé routine. The range means you can open with a lighter pour, work up through the meal, and not feel locked into a bottle commitment. We'd love to see more rotation, but the breadth here keeps things from feeling stale.
Peju Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2014 — $28
A Napa Cab at $28 a glass in the middle of wine country is the kind of math that actually works in your favor. Peju is a legitimate Napa producer with a strong estate reputation, and the 2014 vintage was a great year in the valley. This is the glass you order when you want to drink well without doing the post-dinner bill math in your head.
Justin Isosceles Paso Robles 2014
Most tables at a Napa steakhouse are going to tunnel-vision on local Cabernet and never look south. That's their loss. Isosceles is Justin's flagship Bordeaux-style blend from Paso Robles, and the 2014 is drinking beautifully in its window. It's $45 a glass, yes, but it's a wine with serious structure and complexity that tends to get overlooked the moment people see 'Paso Robles' on a Napa menu.
Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Yellow Label Brut MV
At $29 a glass, Veuve Yellow Label is a fine Champagne — but it's also the most default, autopilot Champagne order in existence. You're in Napa. There are more interesting bubbles to explore, and the prestige of the brand here is doing more work than the wine itself. Save the $29 and put it toward something with a story.
Peju Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2014 + Steak
Classic for a reason: a well-structured Napa Cab with the tannin and dark fruit to stand up against a properly seared cut of beef. The 2014 vintage has enough age on it to have softened into something that complements rather than competes. This is the combination Charlie Palmer built the room around.
The Bottom Line
Charlie Palmer Steak Napa is exactly what a wine-country steakhouse should be — a deep, thoughtful list at prices that don't make you feel robbed, served by people who actually know what's in the bottle. Send your friends here and tell them to order the Peju.
St. Helena · Napa · Wine Bar
Elsewhere is doing something genuinely useful in St. Helena — keeping the lights on after dinner and keeping the list interesting enough to justify the detour. We need more time with the actual list before we'd call it a must, but the bones are right.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Napa Valley · Napa · Hotel Restaurant / New American
The Elene is doing something genuinely uncommon for a Napa hotel restaurant: it's built a wine list with a real perspective. Pricing is fair, the whites and sparkling section is worth the visit on its own, and if you're tired of being handed the same Napa Cab lineup every time you sit down, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Napa Valley · Napa · Hotel Bar / Lounge
In the heart of Napa Valley, this hotel lounge has assembled a seven-bottle list with zero local wines and markups that would make a Vegas pool bar blush — order a cocktail and wait until dinner. There are better places to drink wine within walking distance of almost anywhere in this region.
Plays It Safe
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
St. Helena · Napa · Resort Restaurant / Contemporary American
Meadowood's wine program is doing exactly what it should at this price point — a focused, deeply intelligent list with real range and the staff to back it up. The markups are steep because the room is expensive, but if you're already here, drink well and don't second-guess it.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Napa · Wine Bar / Contemporary American
Napa Kitchen & Wine earns its place as a solid, unfussy option for anyone who wants a wide glass selection and fair pricing without committing to a bottle — just don't come here expecting to discover anything. It's a reliable pour, not a destination.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Napa · Napa · California / Hotel Restaurant
BANK is a reliable spot to drink well enough in a comfortable setting — the sommelier presence and Napa-forward list keep it from being a lazy hotel afterthought. Just don't expect to be surprised, and don't be shocked when the markup reminds you this is a Westin.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
SanTan Village · Chandler · Steakhouse
Bourbon & Bones SanTan has a reserve list that punches above its suburban strip-mall weight class — the Heitz Martha's Vineyard duo, Dominus, and the rogue Egon Müller Riesling are all legitimate gets. The pricing is unambiguously steep and the list has real gaps, but if you're celebrating something and want a specific California collectible with your ribeye, this is one of the more unexpected places to find it in the East Valley.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· White Plains · Steakhouse
This appears to be a Restaurant Week wine promotion rather than Benjamin Steakhouse's full list, and we'd want to see a complete menu before rendering a final verdict on the overall program. Based on what's sourced here, though, the wine offering is thin for a steakhouse of this caliber — if you're coming for a serious bottle of Cab with your dry-aged ribeye, call ahead and ask what's actually on the full list.
Grocery Store
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Pleasant Valley · Colorado Springs · Steakhouse
A compact, fully priced list of 16 wines with a glass and a bottle price printed for every wine. Start with the Angeline Cabernet at $10 a glass for a low-cost red, or the L' Ecole Merlot at $17 if you want the Washington bottle, and confirm prices since the page is undated. 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.
List Variety
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Glassware
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Specials & Deals
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