California Dreaming at Columbus Prices
Easton Town Center · Columbus · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 22, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Eddie Merlot's Prime Aged Beef & Seafood’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list here reads like a Greatest Hits of Napa Valley circa 2012 — Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Far Niente — all the names your uncle drops at Thanksgiving. It's a polished, clubby list that knows exactly who it's selling to and charges accordingly. Expectations are set before you sit down: this is a steakhouse wine list, full stop.
The California Cabernet section is doing the heavy lifting, with recognizable names like Duckhorn Merlot, Far Niente Chardonnay, and Silver Oak Alexander Valley anchoring the premium tier. There's a nod to France and the Pacific Northwest in the mix, but don't come here expecting Burgundy rabbit holes or anything that'll make a wine nerd lean forward. The list is broad enough to check boxes — reds, whites, bubbles — but it never takes a risk or champions a producer you haven't already seen on an airport menu. If you want comfort and familiarity, it delivers; if you want discovery, look elsewhere.
We couldn't pin down the full by-the-glass program from available data, but the presence of bottles like Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay and Gruet Brut in the lineup suggests pours skew safe and recognizable. What we do know: the glass program appears static with no meaningful rotation or adventurous additions to speak of.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley — N/A
Jordan is one of the few bottles on this list with a track record of aging, actual terroir expression, and a price point that's at least defensible relative to its peers here. In a sea of Napa hype, it's the most honest pour on the menu.
Gruet Brut Sparkling
New Mexico sparkling wine at a steakhouse is not something most tables are ordering, but Gruet punches well above its retail weight and cuts through a rich lobster bisque better than anything on this list. Most people walk right past it — don't.
Michele Chiarlo Moscato d'Asti
A $20 retail bottle priced at $64.40 is a 222% markup on a sweet, low-alcohol dessert wine that has no business being this expensive anywhere. If you want something sweet to finish, order dessert.
Duckhorn Merlot, Napa Valley + Prime Dry-Aged Steak
Duckhorn Merlot is plush, full-bodied, and built for exactly this moment — the fat of a prime dry-aged cut softens the wine's tannins while the fruit holds its own against the char. It's not groundbreaking, but it's the one pairing on this list that just works.
The Bottom Line
Eddie Merlot's has the staff, the storage, and the atmosphere to support a genuinely great wine program — but the pricing is punishing and the list plays it so safe it barely tries. Come for the steak; drink the Jordan and don't look at the Moscato.
German Village · Columbus · Italian
Cento is the rare Columbus restaurant where the wine list is a genuine reason to go, not just a footnote to the pasta. Matthew Selva's Italian-focused program earned its Wine Spectator nod honestly — send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Columbus · Columbus · Spanish, Catalan
Barcelona has been earning its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2005, and the list holds up — serious Spanish producers, fair prices, and enough glass pours to drink well across a full tapas spread. For Columbus, this is genuinely the best Spanish wine program in the room.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Columbus · Columbus · French, Seasonal
The Refectory has been doing this quietly and correctly since 2003, and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence held that long doesn't happen by accident. If you're in Columbus and serious about wine, this is the room — full stop.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Easton Town Center · Columbus · Steak House
Mastro's Columbus is a trophy-wine steakhouse doing what trophy-wine steakhouses do — and doing it well enough to earn a Wine Spectator credential in its first year. If you're celebrating something, drinking California cab with a great steak, and not particularly interested in venturing off the map, this list will absolutely deliver.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Columbus · Columbus · American, Steakhouse
Jeff Ruby's is doing the steakhouse wine list right — deep cellar, Wine Spectator credentials, and enough California firepower to keep any red wine drinker busy all night. Bring your appetite for both the ribeye and the markup, because this room doesn't apologize for either.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Columbus · Columbus · American, Asian
Agni is the best wine list in Columbus most people haven't had a reason to talk about yet — until now. With two sommeliers, a 300–500 bottle program, and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence already in its first year, send your friends here and tell them to skip the Caymus.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
· Plano · Steakhouse
Steve Fields clearly puts its energy into the kitchen, not the cellar — and at these price points, that imbalance is hard to ignore. Order the Evesham Wood if it's still there, and otherwise come for the steak, not the wine list.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · Steakhouse
Greystone is a reliable, if predictable, steakhouse wine list — the kind where you can always find something decent but you'll rarely be surprised. Skip the Opus splurge, order the Paradigm, and you'll walk out satisfied.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · Steakhouse
Morton's San Diego is spending more energy on the wedge salad than the wine list, and it shows. Come for the steak, order carefully, and don't expect much beyond the obvious.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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