Big Meat Energy, California Cab to Match
Orlando · Orlando · Brazilian Churrascaria · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 12, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Chima Steakhouse’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Chima reads like a greatest hits compilation — Caymus, Silver Oak, Opus One, Chateau Margaux. It's a list built to impress a table of celebrants, not challenge them. You know exactly what you're walking into, and for a Brazilian churrascaria feeding you eighteen cuts of meat, that's not necessarily a bad thing.
The 150-200 bottle list leans hard into California Cabernet and French classics, which makes plenty of sense when the main event is a parade of tableside-carved beef. Jordan, Duckhorn, Far Niente, and Louis Jadot fill out the mid-range, while trophy bottles like Opus One and Chateau Margaux anchor the high end for the splurge crowd. The French representation is respectable given the format — Jadot Burgundy is a legitimate option — but don't come here looking for Rhône, Ribera del Duero, or anything that strays off the beaten path. Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence (earned in 2024) validates what's here; the list is curated and functional, even if it plays it safe.
With 12-20 glass pours on offer, there's enough range to work through the courses without committing to a bottle — useful given the format. Expect the usual California suspects to dominate the pour list. Rotation appears limited, so don't expect a new discovery on your second visit.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $80
Jordan is a reliable, well-structured Sonoma Cab that holds its own against heavier cuts like picanha without demanding a second mortgage. It's the move if you want something serious without going full Opus One.
Louis Jadot Burgundy
Most tables here are locked in on Cabernet, which means the Jadot Burgundy gets overlooked. A Pinot Noir with that kind of backbone and earthiness is actually a smarter call against lamb chops or the filet than another big Napa red.
Opus One
Opus One is a genuinely good wine but it is also one of the most marked-up bottles on any restaurant list in America. At a churrascaria, where the food is rich, salty, and relentless, you're not going to get the reflective sipping moment that wine deserves. Save Opus One for a quieter table.
Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon + Picanha
Silver Oak's Alexander Valley Cab has enough dark fruit and soft tannin to stand up to the fat-cap richness of picanha without turning combative. It's the kind of pairing that just works — no explanation needed at the table.
✔️ The Bottom Line
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.
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
International Drive · Orlando · Seafood, Steakhouse
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.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
El Segundo · El Segundo · Brazilian Churrascaria
For a chain steakhouse, Fogo de Chão El Segundo takes wine seriously enough to earn its Wine Spectator credential — fair prices, genuine producers, and a Wednesday half-price night that makes it a legitimate value play. Don't come here looking for a Burgundy deep-dive, but for South American red fans eating a lot of meat, this list genuinely delivers.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown · Madison · Brazilian Churrascaria
Fogo de Chão Madison won't win any awards for wine adventurousness, but the South American focus is coherent, and a few serious bottles give you something to work with if you know where to look. Come for the meat; treat the wine list as a competent accomplice, not the main event.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Scottsdale · Phoenix · Brazilian Churrascaria
Fogo de Chão shouldn't have a wine list this interesting, and yet here we are. The half-price South American bottle deal is one of the better recurring wine values in the Phoenix metro — lean into it.
Solid Range
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
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