Wolfgang's Georgetown Power Move Delivers
Georgetown · Washington · Seafood, Steakhouse
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed CUT by Wolfgang Puck’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at CUT lands like a well-dressed guest who absolutely knows it. Four to six hundred selections with a clear backbone in France and California — this isn't a list assembled by committee or pulled from a distributor catalog. There's intention here, and David Denton's fingerprints are all over it.
France takes center stage in the way it should at a serious steakhouse — Chateau Margaux and Chateau Petrus anchor the Bordeaux section, while Domaine de la Romanee-Conti and Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet give the Burgundy column real credibility. Italy doesn't get shortchanged either: Sassicaia, Tignanello, and Gaja Barbaresco represent Tuscany and Piedmont at their most serious. California shows up with the greatest hits — Harlan Estate, Screaming Eagle, Opus One, Stag's Leap Cask 23 — which reads as expected for a Wolfgang Puck property but is executed with enough depth to feel earned rather than performative. The list skews heavily toward reds with age-worthy structure, which makes sense when you're staring down a bone-in ribeye.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a meaningful program for a restaurant at this level, and the range tracks with the bottle list's ambitions. We'd expect to find Champagne representation — Krug is on the bottle list and that pedigree tends to trickle into glass pours — alongside some California Cabernet access points. This isn't a list where you're stuck choosing between a Pinot Grigio and a mystery Malbec.
Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon — $60–$120 (estimated range)
In a list loaded with four-figure bottles, Silver Oak Alexander Valley is a known quantity that consistently over-delivers relative to its price point. At a room where the table next to you is ordering Petrus, this is the move for anyone who wants to drink well without the sticker shock.
Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet
Everyone at a steakhouse is hunting for the biggest Cab they can afford. Meanwhile, the Puligny-Montrachet sits there like a secret. It's the right call for the seared scallops or lobster bisque, and Jadot's take on this village is reliably structured and worth every dollar in a room full of red wine tunnel vision.
Caymus Vineyards Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus Special Selection is a crowd-pleaser with a crowd-pleaser markup. It's a good wine, but in a list that has Stag's Leap Cask 23 and Harlan Estate, spending your budget here feels like ordering the burger at a Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant. The value case just doesn't hold up relative to what else is available.
Sassicaia + Prime dry-aged bone-in ribeye
Sassicaia's Cabernet-forward structure and firm tannins are built for exactly this moment — a heavily marbled, dry-aged cut that needs something with backbone and enough acidity to cut through the fat. It's the old-world answer to a very new-world piece of beef, and it works.
The Bottom Line
CUT earns its Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence without apology — this is a serious list with serious staff in a serious room, and if you're dropping money on A5 Wagyu, you should be dropping money here. Just go in knowing that 'fair pricing' was not the design brief.
Washington · Washington · Seafood
Oceanaire is a safe, well-executed wine destination for California Chardonnay lovers who want reliable bottles with their seafood without too many surprises. Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence since 2017 is well-earned for what it is — just know this list was built for comfort, not adventure.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
Georgetown · Washington · French
Lutèce is a strong place to explore French wine with a firm budget in mind. The posted list runs from a $64 Southern Rhône red to $600 Champagne, so tell Chris Ray what you want to spend and let that guide the conversation. Confirm prices and availability when you book or arrive.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Washington, DC · Washington · Steakhouse
STK DC is a vibe restaurant that treats wine as an accessory, not a feature. If you're here for the scene, the cocktails will serve you better than the list ever will.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Washington · Middle Eastern / North African
Maydan's wine list is one of the most geographically coherent and genuinely adventurous in Washington, DC — it matches the kitchen's ambition and then some. If you're willing to let go of the familiar, this is one of the best by-the-glass programs in the city for opening your eyes to what the wine world looks like beyond Europe.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Washington · Restaurant
Moon Rabbit's wine list is doing something rare: it's short enough to read in two minutes and interesting enough to talk about for twenty. If you care about well-chosen, adventurous bottles at prices that won't wreck your dinner bill, send your people here.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Washington · Washington · Spanish
Xiquet is doing something genuinely rare in D.C. — a tightly edited, Spain-first wine program inside a room that actually earns it. Four sommeliers and a Wood Spectator Award of Excellence since 2023 confirm this isn't an accident; just know you're paying for the setting as much as the bottle.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Water Street · Tampa · Seafood, Steakhouse
Driftlight is doing something real here — a dedicated sommelier, a properly sized list, and a Wine Spectator credential earned in its first year of eligibility. Pricing will run hotel-restaurant steep, but if you're eating on Tampa's Water Street and want a bottle that was actually chosen by someone who cares, this is your best bet in the neighborhood.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Shoreline Village · Long Beach · Seafood, Steakhouse
Queensview earns its Wine Spectator badge by doing the California steakhouse formula well — the setting is legitimately stunning, the list is reliable, and the Daou is a genuine steal in this context. Just don't come expecting anything that'll surprise you.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Lake Tahoe · South Lake Tahoe · Seafood, Steakhouse
Kalani's wine program is exactly what it should be: polished, California-centric, and dependable for a mountain resort fine dining crowd. No fireworks, but you'll eat and drink well — just go in with eyes open on pricing.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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