Gianni's Steakhouse
Lake-town steakhouse swinging well above its weight
Wayzata · Wayzata · Steak House · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list arrives and it's immediately clear this isn't a steakhouse that phoned it in with a Cab and two whites. Three hundred-plus selections in a white-tablecloth room on Lake Minnetonka tells you something. The restaurant takes the bottle program seriously, and Wine Spectator has been handing it a Best of Award of Excellence every year since 2018 — that credential isn't honorary.
Selection Deep Dive
California, France, and Italy form the backbone, and all three columns hold up. On the California side you've got the heavy hitters — Caymus, Silver Oak, Far Niente, Chateau Montelena, and Opus One for those who want to celebrate or impress — but there's enough depth beyond the trophy shelf to reward a curious diner. Italy brings Sassicaia, serious Barolo from the likes of Gaja and Giacomo Conterno, and Brunello di Montalcino selections that most Minnesota restaurants wouldn't bother sourcing. France shows up with Chateau Lynch-Bages and Burgundy from Côte de Nuits producers, which is the kind of commitment that earns that Wine Spectator badge. The list skews classic and collector-friendly rather than adventurous, but when the bones are this good, that's not a knock.
By the Glass
Twenty to thirty-five options by the glass is an unusually generous spread for a steakhouse of this size. That range means you can work through a proper meal without committing to a full bottle — useful if two people are ordering wildly different proteins. We'd want to know how frequently those pours rotate, but the depth of the bottle list suggests the kitchen isn't pouring from bottles left open too long.
Duckhorn Merlot — $50–$70 (estimated bottle range based on program pricing)
Duckhorn Merlot is one of the most consistently overperforming wines in American fine dining — rich enough to handle a bone-in ribeye but structured enough that it doesn't feel like a fruit bomb. In a list full of $200+ Cabs, it's the move if you want quality without the sticker shock.
Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon
Everyone reaches for Caymus or Silver Oak because the labels are familiar. Chateau Montelena is the bottle that beat the French at their own game in 1976 and still doesn't get the dinner-table recognition it deserves. It drinks leaner and more structured than the crowd-pleasers on this list — in a good way — and it'll outlast most of what's around it.
Opus One
Opus One is a genuinely great wine, but at a steakhouse with a steep markup, you're paying a significant premium on top of an already expensive bottle. The name carries a lot of the price tag here. The Sassicaia or a Côte de Nuits Burgundy will drink just as memorably and likely cost less for what's actually in the glass.
Giacomo Conterno Barolo + Rack of Lamb Chops
Barolo's firm tannins and dried cherry-meets-tar character are built for red meat with some gaminess to it. Rack of lamb has enough intensity to stand up to Conterno's structured style without getting overwhelmed — this is the pairing that makes you understand why these wines exist.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Gianni's is the kind of serious wine program you don't expect to find tucked into a lakeside suburb, and it earns every bit of its Wine Spectator recognition. Markups are real, so pick strategically — but the depth and quality of what's on offer makes this worth a special trip.
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