A Hundred Glasses Deep in Napa
West Des Moines · Des Moines · Steakhouse
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · May 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Fleming's Prime Steakhouse’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list lands on your table like a small novel, and that's before you clock that 100 of those selections are available by the glass. Fleming's built its entire identity around this program, and at this Des Moines location, the bones are solid even if the soul skews safe. Expect Napa, more Napa, and then a polite nod toward Bordeaux.
The 250-300 bottle list reads like a California greatest hits compilation — Opus One, Caymus, Jordan, Stag's Leap, Duckhorn are all present and accounted for. Bordeaux gets a respectable showing, but if you're hunting for Burgundy depth, Rhône wines, or anything from the Southern Hemisphere, you'll be doing a lot of squinting. The focus is unapologetically on big, fruit-forward reds that flatter prime beef, and within that lane, the list genuinely delivers. It's not adventurous, but it's well-executed on its own terms.
One hundred wines by the glass is the headline, and it's a real one — this isn't 100 wines where 80 are the same Chardonnay in different bottles. The range of glass pours gives you legitimate optionality across price points and styles, which is rare at a steakhouse format. That said, the list doesn't rotate aggressively, so regulars may find the same faces every visit.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — null
Jordan consistently overdelivers for its price in the steakhouse context — it's polished enough to feel special without the Opus One sticker shock, and it holds up beautifully against a prime ribeye. Among the California heavyweights on this list, it's the one most likely to leave you feeling like you spent wisely.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
Stag's Leap gets overshadowed at a table full of Caymus and Opus One name-droppers, but it's the more elegant, structured pick of the Napa crowd here. Most diners walk past it. Don't.
Opus One
Opus One is a genuinely great wine, but at a national steakhouse, the markup is going to be punishing — you're paying a significant premium for the logo on the label. Unless someone else is signing the check, there are far better value plays on this same list.
Duckhorn Merlot + Prime Ribeye
Duckhorn's Merlot has the weight and dark fruit to stand up to the fat and char on a ribeye without the tannin punch of a big Cabernet. It's a slightly softer play that works especially well if you're sharing the table with someone who finds the Cabs too aggressive.
The Bottom Line
Fleming's Des Moines is a well-run wine program inside a predictable format — if California reds with your steak is your game, you'll leave happy. Just don't expect any surprises, and watch those markups closely before you start pointing at the big names.
Downtown Des Moines · Des Moines · American, Regional
Proudfoot & Bird is the kind of place where the room earns a star the wine list can't quite match — solid enough for a business dinner or a date night in a stunning space, but don't come expecting to find something you've never heard of. If you're in Des Moines and want a dependable glass in a beautiful room, it works.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Johnston · Des Moines · Wine bar / American
Louie's Johnston is exactly what a suburban wine bar should be — a big by-the-glass list, fair prices, and zero pretension. Send your friends here when they want to drink well without a side of attitude.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Clive · Des Moines · Steakhouse & American
Club Car is a reliable steakhouse wine list doing exactly what it was built to do: keep Cab drinkers happy and nobody walking out complaining. Don't come here for discovery, but don't leave without ordering the Jordan.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waukee · Des Moines · Japanese / Asian Fusion / Sushi
Wasabi Waukee is a genuinely good sushi restaurant that treats its wine list like an afterthought — familiar names, steep markups, and zero curiosity about what wines might actually sing alongside the food. Order the cocktails or sake instead, and save the wine discussion for somewhere that cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Ingersoll / Grand · Des Moines · Contemporary American
Louie's Wine Dive is the kind of place Des Moines needs more of — a real wine program in a no-pretense room, with Tuesday half-price deals that make experimenting genuinely low-stakes. It's not a destination list, but it's absolutely a destination night.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Clive · Des Moines · American, Brewpub
Granite City is a brewery that tolerates wine, and the list reflects that perfectly. Drink the beer — it's the whole point of being here.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Greensboro · Steakhouse
Fleming's Greensboro is doing more than most chain steakhouses bother to do with wine — 42 by-the-glass options and actual Alsatian whites on a Greensboro wine list deserves acknowledgment. The markups are real and the list isn't going to surprise anyone who's been to a Fleming's before, but if you're eating a bone-in ribeye and want a proper glass without guesswork, this delivers.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Irvine · Steakhouse
Bourbon Steak Irvine is running one of the most ambitious wine programs in Orange County — 225 labels, 31 by the glass, and a list with genuine personality beyond the expected steakhouse anchors. Markups get steep at the top end, but the by-the-glass range at the $15–$32 tier offers real drinking at fair prices. If you care about what's in your glass, this list rewards the attention.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Irvine · Steakhouse
The Capital Grille Costa Mesa is exactly what it is: a well-run corporate steakhouse with a Champagne list that punches above the room's ambition and a Chardonnay section that covers the safe California bases reliably. Markups are steep throughout and the list doesn't take any risks, but if you know what you want — a glass of Hartford Court or a bottle of Schramsberg before your steak — you'll be fine. Just don't come looking for discovery.
Plays It Safe
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.
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