Italy Meets Texas, Bottle by Bottle
Downtown Austin · Austin · Italian Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed April 9, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Dean's Italian Steakhouse’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Dean's lands with serious intention — this isn't a steakhouse that bolted on a wine section as an afterthought. Three hundred to five hundred bottles deep, anchored in California, France, and Italy, it reads like someone actually thought about the food on the other side of the table. Wine Spectator handed them a Best of Award of Excellence in 2024, and for once, the credential feels earned.
The Italian side of this list is where Dean's really earns its stripes — Antinori Tignanello, Sassicaia, Biondi-Santi Brunello, and Gaja Barolo aren't names you stumble across at your average Austin restaurant. The California contingent is crowd-pleasing but hits hard: Caymus, Silver Oak, Opus One, and Joseph Phelps Insignia give red-meat lovers exactly what they're looking for. France shows up through Louis Jadot Burgundy, which slots in nicely as a counter-weight to the bolder New World stuff. The list skews heavily toward reds — if you're hunting for a deep white wine section, you may find the bench thinner than the steak menu.
Twenty to thirty-five by-the-glass options is genuinely impressive for a steakhouse format, and it means you're not forced to commit to a full bottle just to drink well. The range appears to mirror the bottle list's focus on California and Italy, so you can taste around the menu without going full splurge. No noted rotation program suggests the pours are consistent but not adventurous — what you see is what you get, week to week.
Louis Jadot Burgundy — $60
Burgundy at a Texas steakhouse is an underdog move, and Jadot delivers reliable Pinot Noir quality that punches above its price point here. It's the smart order when you want something that works with both the pasta and the lighter proteins without breaking the bank on a Gaja.
Ceretto Barolo
Everyone at the table is reaching for the Caymus or the Silver Oak — skip the queue and go Ceretto. Barolo's tar-and-roses structure is built for dry-aged beef, and Ceretto makes some of the most approachable, well-priced expressions of the grape in Piedmont. Most people walk right past it.
Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is a fine wine, but it's also on every steakhouse list in America and is rarely priced with any mercy. At a restaurant with Sassicaia and Insignia on the same menu, defaulting to Caymus is leaving something far more interesting on the table.
Antinori Tignanello + Dry-aged ribeye
Tignanello's Sangiovese-Cabernet blend has the structure to stand up to a serious dry-aged cut without steamrolling the beef's complexity the way a pure Cab can. It's also the bottle that tells the table you know what you're doing.
The Bottom Line
Dean's is doing something rare in Austin — running a wine list that takes Italy as seriously as it takes Texas beef, and backing it up with the cellar depth to prove it. A no-sommelier situation and some ambitious markups keep it from being perfect, but if you're eating here, you're drinking well.
· Austin · Steakhouse
Perry's is a competent steakhouse wine program that won't embarrass you, but it won't thrill you either. The by-the-glass breadth is the real story here — 37 options gives you room to explore without committing to a bottle. Just don't come expecting adventurous picks or fair markups across the board; come expecting a list that gets the job done for a celebratory dinner without too much fuss.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Austin · Seafood Steakhouse
Truluck's Austin runs a by-the-glass program that genuinely outperforms what most standalone seafood houses manage, with producers like Markus Molitor and Drouhin-Vaudon sitting next to the expected California lineup. Pricing is fair without being flashy. If you're eating seafood and want to drink well without committing to a bottle, this list has you covered — just work through the whites and bubbles and don't let the Napa trophy bottles at the top drain your wallet.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Austin · Upscale American Seafood and Steakhouse
Eddie V's is a reliable wine destination in the sense that a well-pressed suit is reliable — it won't let you down, but it won't make anyone's year-end list either. If you're on a date, celebrating something, or just need a wine program that won't embarrass you in front of a client, this is a safe and comfortable call. Just don't expect to find anything that makes you pull out your phone to take a note.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Austin · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Austin is not a destination wine list, but it's a legitimately fair one — South American focus, honest prices, and a couple of genuine steals hiding in plain sight. If you're here for the espeto corrido experience, grab a VIK blend at $30 and don't overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Austin · Steakhouse
ALC Steaks plays it safe and plays it competently — this is a wine list that serves the room without challenging it. If you know what you're looking for, there are smart picks buried in here; if you don't, you'll still drink fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Austin · Austin · American, Italian
Sammie's is a genuinely fun room with a wine list that's earned its Wine Spectator hardware — the Italian depth is real, the sommelier knows her stuff, and Monday half-price bottles might be the best deal in Austin. Just go in knowing the markups lean steep, and let Jenny point you toward the plays that aren't on the tourist track.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
Buckhead · Atlanta · Italian Steakhouse
Luella has the infrastructure for a genuinely good wine program — sommelier on staff, a cuisine that practically demands serious red wine, and a room that sets the right tone. But without a published list and with a Bordeaux-heavy focus at Buckhead prices, there's a real chance you're paying a premium for predictability. Go in with your eyes open, lean on the sommelier, and push them for something beyond the obvious — if they're worth their title, they'll deliver.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Fayetteville · Italian Steakhouse
Enzo puts in more wine effort than most Italian steakhouses in its zip code — the Nebbiolo and Barbera alone signal someone gave a damn about the Italian half of the concept. Markups lean steep rather than punishing, and having every bottle available by the glass is a real guest-friendly move. If you're in Fayetteville and want a credible glass of wine with your dinner, this is the play.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
River North · Chicago · Italian Steakhouse
A Tuscan-steakhouse list that does what the room promises: Tuscany and Piedmont reds, a Napa Cabernet block and 33 wines by the glass. Order the Caparzo Rosso di Montalcino (58) if you want the Montalcino name without the Brunello price, or the Prunotto Barolo (145) with the bone-in ribeye, and ask which number on the glass page is the pour. This unrated guide covers the posted drink book, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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