Meat-forward menu, wine list plays it safe
Downtown · Minneapolis · Brazilian churrascaria / Brazilian steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 9, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Fogo de Chão’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Fogo de Chão Minneapolis feels like it was assembled to check boxes rather than excite anyone. It's short, recognizable, and tilted heavily toward big reds — which, fair enough, given that someone's about to carve a picanha tableside. But there's no sense that anyone here lost sleep over it.
The list leans on Argentina and California, with Chilean and Italian entries rounding things out. You'll recognize most labels from a grocery store shelf: Meiomi Pinot Noir, J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cab, Lapostolle Grand Selection — dependable crowd-pleasers, but nothing that's going to make you put your fork down and pay attention. There's a slight nod to the brand's Brazilian roots with the Jorjão by Fogo de Chão Malbec and Eulila by VIK Red Blend, which at least suggests someone thought about narrative. Gaps are real though — no Portuguese wines, no Malbec from a serious single-vineyard producer, nothing aged.
The by-the-glass program mirrors the bottle list: safe, accessible, designed to not offend anyone. Expect the Catena Appellation Malbec, Meiomi Pinot Noir, and a couple of sparkling options like La Marca Prosecco and Chandon Brut to be poured without much fanfare. Rotation appears minimal — what's on the list is what you're getting, visit after visit.
Catena 'Appellation' Malbec — $15
Catena's entry-level Malbec punches above its glass price — it's got the dark fruit and structure to actually stand up to the parade of red meat coming your way, and it won't wreck your wallet in a place where the meal itself is already a splurge.
Eulila by VIK Red Blend
Most people at Fogo order what they know, which means this Chilean red blend from the acclaimed VIK estate gets ignored. VIK makes serious wine, and Eulila is their more accessible tier — it's still a step above everything else on this list and worth a closer look.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
Meiomi is everywhere — your grocery store, your neighborhood pizza place, every chain restaurant wine list in America. You're paying steakhouse markup on a mass-market brand that retails for under $15. Skip it.
Lapostolle 'Grand Selection' Cabernet Sauvignon + Picanha
Picanha is fatty, rich, and slightly sweet from the fat cap — Lapostolle's Grand Selection Cab brings enough acidity and dark fruit to cut through it without bullying the meat. It's a classical pairing that works precisely because neither is trying too hard.
The Bottom Line
Fogo de Chão Minneapolis is a reliably fun night out if you're there for the meat spectacle — and you should be. The wine list is a supporting cast that knows its role: keep people happy, don't surprise anyone, move on. If wine is more than an afterthought for you, lower your expectations before you open the menu.
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