Great Views, Corporate Wine List to Match
Newport (Greater Cincinnati Riverfront) · Cincinnati · Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed September 19, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Chart House Cincinnati’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The Cincinnati skyline shimmering across the Ohio River is genuinely stunning, and the wine list arrives with the same polished, corporate confidence — heavy on California hits you already know, light on anything that might surprise you. It reads exactly like what it is: a national chain list that was built to move bottles, not to make you think. Nothing offensive, nothing inspired.
The 80-120 bottle list leans hard on California, with a few nods to the Pacific Northwest and France to give it the appearance of range. You'll find the expected heavy hitters — Far Niente, Rombauer, Jordan — which are respectable producers but also wines that every steakhouse and seafood chain in America has been pouring for two decades. There's no real depth here in terms of grower Champagne, aged Burgundy, or anything from the Southern Hemisphere or Eastern Europe. If you drink wine with any regularity, you've seen this list before, probably at an airport restaurant.
Happy hour is the clearest wine deal on the posted Newport menu: five glass choices at $8 and eight premium choices at $10. El Coto Crianza Rioja and J. Lohr “Seven Oaks” Cabernet are on the $10 list; Line 39 Chardonnay and Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling are $8. The location lists happy hour Sunday through Friday, 4:30–7 p.m. Ask about seating restrictions and current selections; these are happy-hour offers, not the full dinner wine list.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $40
If it lands at the low end of the bottle price range, Jordan is the most honest bottle on this list — a real producer, a real wine, and something that actually stands up to prime rib without embarrassing itself.
Far Niente Chardonnay
It gets overlooked in favor of the more aggressively marketed Rombauer, but Far Niente is the more complete wine — better acidity, better balance, and it actually flatters the macadamia nut-crusted mahi mahi instead of steamrolling it.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
Meiomi is a mass-produced blended Pinot that retails for well under $20, and you're almost certainly paying restaurant prices that don't reflect that reality. Save it for a Tuesday night at home — it doesn't belong at a $150-a-head dinner.
Far Niente Chardonnay + Macadamia Nut-Crusted Mahi Mahi
The richness of the macadamia crust needs a Chardonnay with enough body to hold its own, and Far Niente brings oak and fruit in proportion — it doesn't collapse under the weight of the dish the way a leaner white would.
The Bottom Line
Chart House delivers exactly what it promises: a reliable, unadventurous wine list in a spectacular waterfront setting. Come for the view and the lobster bisque — just don't expect the wine list to match the scenery.
· Cincinnati · Contemporary American Steakhouse
Eddie Merlot's is a reliable performer in a genre that doesn't reward risk-taking — you'll eat well, drink acceptably, and pay steakhouse prices for both. If you're after a wine list that surprises or challenges you, this isn't your room. But if you need somewhere that delivers a respectable bottle alongside a serious filet, this gets the job done without embarrassing you at the table.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Montgomery · Cincinnati · American
A winery-restaurant list where nearly every wine is posted with a glass and a bottle price, from $9.50 to $25.00 a glass. Start with the Cooper's Hawk Lux Cabernet Sauvignon, which the menu lists beside the red wine braised short ribs, or the Cooper's Hawk Red at $10.75 a glass, and try the CHMX from Baja, Mexico on a weekday at the $8 Wine O'Clock price. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups, so confirm availability.
Covington · Cincinnati · Farm-to-Table Bistro
A bistro wine list with a compact glass tab and a regional bottle tab that runs from 42 to 310. Start with the Conquilla cava or the Voliero sangiovese by the glass, or the Thymiopoulos xinomavro at $50 if you want a bottle, and confirm prices because the menu is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks list, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Cincinnati · Wood-Fired American
A French-led bottle list with a glass page that starts at $17 and a Coravin page for smaller pours. Order the Domaine Brun-Avril Côtes-du-Rhône at $20 a glass, or try the Château de Plaisance Anjou Blanc by the pour, and confirm vintages since the book says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks selection, not service, storage or markups.
Newport · Cincinnati · Farm-to-table (Italian, French, American)
A tasting-menu room with a wine book that runs from Burgundy to Tuscany and a short, specific beverage sheet. Start with the $15 Delalle sparkling Chenin Blanc, or look at the $48 Rocca del Principe Fiano if you want a bottle, and confirm what is available since neither list is dated. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks lists, not service, storage or markups.
Lytle Park · Cincinnati · Italian
A broad Italian-and-Napa list, with every glass pour labeled by size. Start with the Santa Cristina Cabernet Sauvignon (6oz 12) or the Ohio-made Carlotta red blend (43), and confirm what is pouring, since the list carries no date. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
· Flowery Branch · Seafood
Fish Tales is on Lake Lanier, which should be a natural setting for a thoughtful selection of cold, crisp whites. Instead, the wine program is a single bottle of heavily buttered California Chardonnay. We'd recommend sticking to whatever's on tap and revisiting the wine situation if anything changes.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Perimeter Center · Dunwoody · Seafood
Louisiana Bistreaux is genuinely worth visiting for the food — the seafood is the draw, full stop. But if wine is part of your evening, don't come here expecting the list to match the kitchen's ambition. Order the crawfish ravioli, get a cocktail or a cold beer, and save the wine exploration for somewhere that's put in the work.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Cartersville · Seafood
Maine Street Coastal Cuisine is a seafood spot that doesn't take wine seriously, and the five-label, all-$7, no-producer list makes that clear without apology. If you're here for the food, drink the cocktails or crack a beer — the wine list isn't worth the conversation.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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