Serious Bottles Where the Meat Reigns
Newark · Brazilian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 11, 2026
RagingWine reviewed CS Brazilian Steakhouse’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into a Brazilian churrascaria, you're expecting the wine list to be an afterthought — a few Malbecs, maybe a Cab, done. CS Brazilian surprises. The list has actual bones to it, with names like Château Léoville-Barton and Don Melchor sitting alongside the expected South American stalwarts. This isn't a place that phoned it in.
The list clocks in at 100-150 bottles with a clear four-lane focus: France, Spain, California, and Argentina — which maps perfectly to the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence they've held since 2017. Bordeaux shows up credibly with Léoville-Barton; Burgundy gets a nod via Louis Jadot; California is covered by Jordan and Clos du Val Cabernet. The Iberian angle via Torres Gran Coronas adds a nice wrinkle that most churrascarias completely ignore. Don't expect deep verticals or esoteric natural pours — this is a confident, meat-forward red list built for the rodizio experience, and it does that job well.
Ten to sixteen pours by the glass is a solid count for this format, giving the table enough range to mix and match through the parade of skewers. We'd like to see more rotation and a white or two for the lighter proteins, but at a rodizio the glass program exists to serve the beef — and it does. Price range on bottles tops out at $120, which means even the nicer pours stay accessible.
Torres Gran Coronas (Spain) — $35-$45
A Tempranillo-Cabernet blend from one of Spain's most reliable producers, Gran Coronas punches well above its price point at a steakhouse. It's structured enough to handle the Picanha but won't drain the table budget.
Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)
Clos du Val is one of Napa's old-guard producers that gets overlooked now that everyone chases cult labels. It's a more restrained, Old World-leaning Napa Cab — exactly right for a long rodizio dinner where you need the wine to last, not just launch.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon (California)
Jordan is a fine wine, but it's also the most recognized name on this list and almost certainly carries the biggest markup premium for the recognition alone. With Clos du Val and Don Melchor both on the menu, there's no reason to default to the brand everyone already knows.
Catena Zapata Malbec (Argentina) + Picanha (top sirloin cap)
Picanha is fatty, rich, and aggressively savory — Catena Zapata's Malbec has the dark fruit and firm tannins to cut through the fat without overpowering the meat's natural sweetness. It's the most obvious pairing on the menu and it's obvious for a reason.
The Bottom Line
CS Brazilian Steakhouse is doing more with wine than any churrascaria in Delaware has to. It's not a destination wine list, but it's a genuinely respectable one — and in this format, that's the Wild Card win.
· Newark · Spanish and Portuguese
Spanish Tavern is a Newark institution with the bones of a wine-forward dining room — the setting, the cuisine, and the Iberian focus are all pointing in the right direction. The list likely plays it safe and the markups are probably what you'd expect from a white-tablecloth special-occasion spot, but if you're here for a proper sit-down dinner of paella and seafood, a bottle of Spanish red will do the job. We'd love to see the list push further into the Iberian depth that the kitchen deserves.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Arts District · Newark · Tasting-menu / New American
For a concert hall dining room in Newark, this wine list has no business being this French, this specific, or this fairly priced — and yet here we are. The by-the-glass selection alone is worth flagging for anyone catching a show at NJPAC. Go in, order the Vouvray or the Morgon, and be pleasantly surprised.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Newark · Wine Bar
Enoteca Wine Bar earns its Wild Card badge by being exactly the kind of place Newark shouldn't be sleeping on — a focused Italian and Spanish program in a room built for lingering, at price points that don't punish you for ordering a second bottle. We'd want a closer look at the full list and glass pours before calling it a destination, but if you're in the neighborhood and want wine with your wood-fired pizza, this is a smarter bet than most.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Newark · Brazilian Steakhouse
The Taste of Brazil is almost certainly a great time if you're here for the rodízio experience — the meats, the energy, the all-you-can-eat chaos. The wine program, though, is an unknown quantity we can't responsibly endorse, and the lack of any transparent list online suggests wine isn't a priority here. Order a caipirinha, enjoy the picanha, and save the serious bottle for another night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Newark · Italian
Five Corners has stocked four respectable Italian reds and essentially stopped there. Without pricing, pour options, or a list that can accommodate the full table, it's hard to call this a wine program — it's more like a wine shelf. Come for the Italian cooking; manage your expectations on the wine side.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Montclair · Newark · Tasting-menu and New American
Halcyon is a reliable dinner-out option in Montclair where the wine list does its job without showing off — broad enough to find something that works with the seafood, priced at the higher end of what the neighborhood commands. Until we can get eyes on verified bottle selections and pricing, the specific picks stay blank, but the overall program earns a cautious endorsement: go for the crab cakes, ask your server what's pouring well by the glass, and you'll land somewhere fine.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Bend · Bend · Brazilian
Boiada is genuinely great at what it does — the meat program is the whole point, and nobody's arguing otherwise. But the wine list is underbuilt, overpriced in spots, and would be unforgivable if not for that Wednesday half-price bottle deal, which is the one reason to think about wine here at all.
Plays It Safe
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Northville · Northville · Brazilian
Gaucho is a genuine wine surprise in Northville — a Brazilian steakhouse that takes its South American wine program seriously enough to earn a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence every year since 2013. The markups get steep on the California names, but stick to the Argentine and Chilean bottles and you'll eat and drink very well. Wednesday's half-price wine night is the kind of deal you tell your friends about.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Unknown · Charleston · Brazilian
Come for the rodizio — it's the show. But do yourself a favor and order a caipirinha or a beer, because the wine list is an afterthought dressed up with a $14 price tag. This program deserves a South American overhaul.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
