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๐Ÿ”ฅThe Rager

Copper Rock Steakhouse

Casino steak country with serious wine credentials

New Buffalo ยท New Buffalo ยท American Steakhouse ยท Visit Website โ†—

date-nightdeep-cellarsplurge-worthyold-world-focus

Reviewed April 8, 2026

Wingman Metrics

List VarietySolid Range
MarkupSteep
GlasswareVarietal Specific
StaffKnowledgeable & Friendly
Specials & DealsSet & Forget
Storage & TempProper

First Impression

Walking into a casino steakhouse, you half-expect a wine list that starts and ends with a Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay and a bottle of Josh Cab. Copper Rock blows that assumption up fast โ€” 150-plus bottles, a credentialed sommelier on the floor, and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence earned in 2024. This is a serious wine program wearing a very comfortable suit.

Selection Deep Dive

The list leans hard into California's greatest hits โ€” Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Duckhorn, and Opus One all make appearances, which reads like a steakhouse crowd-pleaser but is honestly just good curation for the format. France shows up with Louis Jadot and Joseph Drouhin anchoring a solid Burgundy section, and Chateau Montelena adds a bit of Napa history to the mix. The real surprise is the Michigan chapter: Black Star Farms and Chateau Grand Traverse represent the state's wine scene with genuine pride, and for a restaurant this close to Michigan wine country, that's the right call. The list tops out north of $500 for premium California and Burgundy, so there's depth for those willing to go there.

By the Glass

With 20-35 by-the-glass options, this is one of the stronger pour programs you'll find attached to a casino dining room โ€” not just the obligatory house red and white, but a real selection that mirrors the bottle list's range. We'd love to see more rotation and a few natural or lower-intervention pours sneak in, but for the room and the clientele, the glass program does its job well.

๐Ÿ’ฐBest Value

Jordan Vineyard & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon โ€” $40+

Jordan consistently punches above its price point in Alexander Valley Cab, and in a list full of flashier names, it's often the one that actually delivers the best QPR. Order this before the Caymus if you want to drink smart.

๐Ÿ’ŽHidden Gem

Black Star Farms (Michigan)

Most tables here are going straight for California โ€” and they're missing the local story. Black Star Farms out of Leelanau Peninsula is making genuinely compelling wine, and ordering it at a Michigan steakhouse this close to the source just makes sense. It's the kind of pick that makes your table curious.

โ›”Skip This

Opus One

Opus One is a beautiful wine, but it's also one of the most marked-up bottles on any restaurant list in America. You're paying for the name as much as what's in the glass โ€” and in a steakhouse setting, a Silver Oak or even a Jordan will make you just as happy for a lot less money.

๐Ÿฝ๏ธPerfect Pairing

Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon + USDA Prime 42-Day Dry Aged Steak

Chateau Montelena's structured, classically built Cab has the backbone and tannin to stand up to the intense, concentrated flavor of a 42-day dry aged cut. This is old-school Napa meeting old-school steakhouse, and it works exactly the way it's supposed to.

๐Ÿ”ฅ The Bottom Line

Copper Rock is the rare casino restaurant that takes its wine list seriously enough to earn the hardware to prove it โ€” sommelier on staff, Michigan producers represented, and enough depth to keep a wine nerd busy for a full dinner. The markups run steep as you climb the list, but the program earns its Best of Award of Excellence badge, and so does this one.

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