Gaucho Cuts Meet a Serious Wine Cellar
Fort Lauderdale · Fort Lauderdale · Brazilian Steakhouse
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Chima Steakhouse’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
You walk into Chima expecting meat on swords and a frozen caipirinha — what you don't expect is a 400-plus bottle list with Sassicaia, Opus One, and Chateau Margaux sitting next to Catena Zapata. The list has real ambition for a churrascaria, and Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence (2025) isn't a fluke. This is a steakhouse that takes its wine seriously, even if the room is louder than a Copa Mundial broadcast.
California dominates and rightly so — Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Far Niente, Duckhorn, and Opus One give the Cabernet crowd everything they want with one list. Italy shows up strong with the Super Tuscans: Tignanello, Sassicaia, and Antinori Solaia all present, which is a genuine nod to the old world beyond just sticking Barolo on a shelf. Argentina gets its due with Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard and Achaval Ferrer Malbec — a smart call given the Brazilian context and the fact that big red meat loves big Malbec. The gaps are real though: Burgundy and the Rhône are thin, and if you're looking for anything outside the California-Italy-France-Argentina lane, this list won't help you.
Twenty to thirty-five options by the glass is generous for a churrascaria, and the rotation covers enough ground to get through a full rodízio service without repeating yourself. We'd push the staff on what's actually open and fresh — a list this size can mean bottles sitting open longer than they should. Wednesday's half-price wine program is the real headline here; if you can plan around it, do.
Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino 2020 — $85
At $85, this is the most honest price on the list — Catena Zapata at this tier drinks well above its weight, and next to Picanha it's the most logical pour in the building. Everything else climbs fast.
Achaval Ferrer Malbec
Everyone eyes the Opus One and the Super Tuscans, but Achaval Ferrer is the underdog Malbec that consistently punches above its tier. It's got the structure for red meat without the Instagram markup, and most tables walk right past it.
Château Margaux 2018
At $1,250, you're paying a serious restaurant premium on a wine that needs another decade in a proper cellar to show what it is. This isn't the setting or the moment for Margaux — order it if it's someone else's card, otherwise put that money toward something that's actually ready to drink.
Tignanello + Picanha (sirloin cap)
Tignanello's Sangiovese-Cabernet blend has enough acidity to cut through the fat on Picanha and enough dark fruit to match the char. It's the Italian answer to a Brazilian cut, and it works better than any straight Cabernet on this list.
Wednesday — Half-price wine bottles on Wednesdays — applies to the full list, making otherwise steep markups suddenly reasonable.
The Bottom Line
Chima isn't a wine bar wearing a steakhouse costume — it's a legitimate churrascaria that happens to have built a wine program worth respecting. Pricing runs steep across the board, but Wednesday half-price night changes the math entirely, and the Argentine and Italian selections give you real choices beyond the usual California parade.
Fort Lauderdale · Fort Lauderdale · Mediterranean
The Terrace Grill isn't where you go to chase down rare bottles or get your mind blown by an unexpected producer — it's where you go to drink well without overthinking it. For waterfront Mediterranean dining in Fort Lauderdale, that's a perfectly respectable offer.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Fort Lauderdale · Fort Lauderdale · Italian, Floridian
La Fuga earns its Wine Spectator hardware with a focused Italian-California list that does right by the food — just be prepared for steep markups on the prestige bottles. Send a friend here when they want serious Italian wine with their pasta and a view.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Fort Lauderdale · Fort Lauderdale · Italian
Anthony's Runway 84 is a Fort Lauderdale institution that knows its audience and delivers exactly what it promises: big Napa names, old-school Italian comfort, and no surprises. Wine-forward diners may find the list a little safe, but the Italian highlights and the fresh Wine Spectator Award of Excellence signal that someone here is paying attention — even if the list isn't ready to take risks.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Ft. Lauderdale Beach · Fort Lauderdale · Steak House
Steak 954 is a legitimately strong wine program for a beach hotel steakhouse — deep on the producers that matter, proper storage, and a by-the-glass count that punches above its weight. Markups are what they are at this address, but if you pick smart, this is a great place to drink wine with a serious piece of beef.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Fort Lauderdale Beach · Fort Lauderdale · French, Japanese
MAASS is the real thing — a sommelier-driven program with genuine depth, proper glassware, and staff that actually knows what's in the cellar. Markups run steep at the top end, but this is a Best of Award of Excellence list for a reason, and it earns every bit of the credential.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Fort Lauderdale · Fort Lauderdale · American, Farm to Table
Daniel's is a legitimate Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence earner — the list is deep, the heavy hitters are all here, and the room is built for serious wine drinking. The markups sting and there's no sommelier pushing you toward discovery, but if you know what you're looking for, this is one of Fort Lauderdale's best bottles-over-dinner experiences.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Albuquerque · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Albuquerque won't win any awards for wine creativity, but as a corporate steakhouse list goes, the South American focus is thematically solid and the VIK selections give wine-curious diners something to actually get excited about. Bring a Malbec drinker, skip the Casillero, and consider ordering up into the VIK range if the occasion calls for it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Provo · Provo · Brazilian Steakhouse
Come to Tucanos for the meat parade — it's genuinely fun and the churrasco is the whole point. But skip the wine list entirely and order a caipirinha instead; the wine program is a missed opportunity that no one on staff seems bothered by.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
University Dr. East · College Station · Brazilian Steakhouse
Casa Do Brasil does the job — the list is functional, has a few genuine wines worth ordering, and everything pours by the glass which fits the format. The markups are real and consistent, so go in with eyes open and steer toward the Ridge or the Catena Alta to get actual value out of what they're offering.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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