PNW beef meets a globe-trotting bottle list
Unknown · Tacoma · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 28, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Cuerno Bravo Prime Steakhouse’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Cuerno Bravo is short — we're talking one page — but it doesn't read like an afterthought. Someone here clearly made intentional choices: Washington State producers sit alongside Uruguayan Tannat and Spanish Mencía in a way that signals actual curiosity, not just an auto-populated import list.
The backbone of this list is Pacific Northwest Cabernet Sauvignon, and they've done well there — Betz Family Winery's 'The Untold Story,' Long Shadows 'Feather,' and Mark Ryan 'Dead Horse' give you real range from plush to structured without venturing off-brand. The South American angle is smart for a Latin-inflected steakhouse: Zolo Malbec and Garzón Tannat are logical companions to grilled meat. What really earns points, though, is the inclusion of Descendientes de José Palacios Mencía from Bierzo and the CasaSmith Barbera — two wines that have no business being on a steakhouse list in the best possible way. The gaps are real: no Syrah, no Pinot Noir, and the white selection leans heavily on crowd-pleasing grapes without much regional depth.
The by-the-glass program is genuinely generous for a room this size — nearly the entire list is available by the glass, which is rare and welcome. Pours range from $8 for entry-level whites up to $18 for the better Washington reds. The Simpatico Albariño and Poets Leap Riesling at the lighter end are solid patio-pour territory; we'd like to see those top-shelf Cabs available by the glass too, but they're bottle-only.
Isenhower 'I' Series Malbec, Columbia Valley — $40
At $40 a bottle, it's marked up but not egregiously so for a Washington producer with real craft behind it — retails around $20 but drinks considerably above that tier. Against the Zolo at $25 (which retails for $12), this is actually the better spend per quality dollar.
Descendientes de José Palacios Mencía, Bierzo, Spain
Most people at a steakhouse are reaching for Cabernet on autopilot. The Mencía from Descendientes de José Palacios is one of Spain's most compelling red grape varieties — bright, earthy, and iron-tinged in a way that absolutely cuts through fatty beef. It's the sleeper pick on this list.
Montaña Rioja Tempranillo
At $25 a bottle with a retail price around $10, you're paying 150% over what this wine is worth. It's a perfectly fine entry-level Rioja, but there's nothing here that justifies the markup when better bottles are only $15 more.
Betz Family Winery 'The Untold Story' Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley + Prime Ribeye
Betz is one of Washington's benchmark Cab producers — structured tannins, dark fruit, and enough backbone to stand up to a heavily marbled prime cut without getting steamrolled. This is the pairing the list was built around.
The Bottom Line
Cuerno Bravo punches above its weight class on wine selection — the Mencía and Betz picks alone set it apart from your average steakhouse list — but the markups across the board are steep enough to sting. Come for the bottle you'd never order anywhere else; just don't expect restaurant-week pricing.
· Tacoma · New American
The Table is doing more with its wine program than most restaurants in its weight class, and the sommelier on staff gives it real credibility. We'd send a wine-curious friend here without hesitation — just ask questions, trust the staff, and let them point you somewhere interesting.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
· Tacoma · Seafood
The Lobster Shop's wine list is doing more than it has to, and doing it at prices that won't make you wince. If you're eating seafood in Tacoma, this is a better glass situation than you'd find at most spots with ten times the ambition.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Tacoma · Northwest seafood & steak
Copper & Salt isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's working harder than most Northwest kitchen-and-bar concepts to give you something worth drinking. The regional focus is genuine, the by-the-glass selection is unusually generous, and the pricing won't make you wince — send a friend here with confidence.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Tacoma · New American bar & restaurant
Field is punching way above its weight for a Tacoma bar — a focused, affordable list that rewards curiosity instead of punishing it. If you care even a little about interesting wine, this is worth making a detour for.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Sumner · Tacoma · Wine Bar & Gelato Shop
Valley Social is the kind of wine bar that a town like Sumner needs: thoughtful enough to reward attention, casual enough to not require it. Send your friends here for a flight and some gelato — they'll be glad you did.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· Tacoma · Wine bar & bottle shop
Gig Harbor Wine Co. is a one-brand wine bar that somehow doesn't feel like a vanity project — the range is thoughtful, the prices are honest, and the whole setup rewards locals who want to drink well without the markup theater. If you're open to going all-in on a single producer for a night, this is a genuinely fun place to do it.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Atlanta · Steakhouse
Il Premio is a steakhouse that took its wine list seriously enough to skip the obvious plays, and the result is one of the more interesting Italian-focused lists in Atlanta right now. It's compact, priced fairly across the board, and built for exploration — whether you're going glass by glass through the Italian regions or just need a solid bottle of Chianti Classico at $72 to make a steak dinner feel right. We'd send a friend here specifically for the wine.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Steakhouse
Stark's is the rare steakhouse that treats wine as something other than an afterthought or a cash grab. The list is compact but genuinely considered, markups are fair across the board, and the full bottle-to-glass availability is a policy every restaurant should copy. If you're eating in Healdsburg and want to drink well without overpaying, this is a legitimate stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Albany · Albany · Steakhouse
Order by the glass and explore: the posted menu gives you Riesling, Chablis, Cahors and Rioja without a bottle commitment. Pentimento at $16 is our price-conscious red starting point. Check the current list before ordering; the complete cellar, service and storage haven't been independently verified.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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