Chicago's classic steakhouse delivers on the bottle
Gold Coast · Chicago · American, Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 13, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Gibsons Bar and Steakhouse’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Gibsons hits you the way the room does — big, confident, and unapologetically old-school. Five hundred to seven hundred selections anchored in France, California, and Italy, which is exactly what you'd expect from a Rush Street institution that's been pouring Cabs for decades. Wine Spectator noticed in 2023, and honestly, the list earns it.
This is a Cabernet lover's dream and basically nothing else — which, given the menu, is entirely the point. California is stacked with the heavy hitters: Opus One, Caymus Special Selection, Silver Oak, Stag's Leap CASK 23, Jordan, Beringer Private Reserve. France shows up properly with Château Margaux and Château Lafite Rothschild. Italy gets a nod through Sassicaia, and Australia sneaks in with Penfolds Grange for the adventurous. What you won't find is a deep dive into Burgundy by the glass, natural wine curiosities, or anything resembling a value-driven discovery section — this list is built for the power lunch crowd dropping real money on a steak.
Twenty to thirty-five options by the glass is genuinely solid for a steakhouse of this size, and Victoria Hutchinson keeps the program from feeling like an afterthought. The by-the-glass roster leans predictably California-heavy, which tracks with the room. Rotation feels more curated than spontaneous, but what's there is competent and well-maintained.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — Available by the glass
Jordan is one of the most consistent, food-friendly Cabs in California and rarely gets marked into the stratosphere the way the cult names do here. It's the move if you want something serious without signing your mortgage over.
Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Everyone chases Opus One and Caymus at a place like this, but Beringer's Private Reserve is a legitimately great Napa Cab that flies under the radar at steakhouses. It consistently punches above its profile — and above what the flashier names on this list deliver per dollar.
Caymus Vineyards Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon
At $250 a bottle, you're paying a significant premium for a wine that retails for a fraction of that — and Caymus Special Selection has become the kind of crowd-pleasing status pour that gets marked up hard at every white tablecloth room in the country. The wine is fine. The value is not.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars CASK 23 + Prime bone-in ribeye
CASK 23 is one of Napa's most structured, age-worthy Cabs — it has the backbone to stand up to a serious bone-in ribeye without either one steamrolling the other. This is the pairing the list was built for.
Monday — Half-price wine night every Monday — the single best reason to rearrange your week around dinner at Gibsons.
The Bottom Line
Gibsons is a reliable destination for big-bottle California and French wine in a room that was made for exactly that kind of drinking. The pricing is steep across the board, but Monday's half-price wine night turns this into a genuinely compelling night out — show up then, order the ribeye, and spend the difference on a second bottle.
· Chicago · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Chicago's wine list is built for throughput, not discovery — it's reliable, reasonably ranged by the glass, and anchored by South American selections that at least make thematic sense with the food. The markups are steeper than we'd like and the list won't excite anyone who drinks wine as seriously as they eat meat, but the Catena Malbec and the Bodega Garzón Albariño are legitimate picks that rise above the crowd-pleaser baseline. Come for the churrasco, drink the Catena, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
River North · Chicago · Seafood
A seafood house with a long, mixed list: a Seafood Whites section, Burgundy and Napa depth, and 22 pours by the glass. Order the Marc Brédif "Royal Oyster" Muscadet with a half dozen oysters, or start with the $11/glass Charles de Fère, and confirm current prices. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
River North · Chicago · Mediterranean, Steakhouse
A Napa-heavy bottle list with a real Greek section and a short, priced glass board. Start with the $10 happy-hour Vermentino or, if you are staying for dinner, the AA Sigalas Assyrtiko at $75, and confirm prices and availability when you sit down. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Magnificent Mile · Chicago · Mediterranean
A 38-pour glass list with unpriced Champagne and Burgundy-heavy bottle pages behind it. Start with the $14 Tiberio Trebbiano or the $15 Thymiopoulos Assyrtiko, and ask for bottle prices because the posted bottle pages carry none. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks menu, not service, storage or markups.
Fulton Market · Chicago · Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
A Mediterranean list built around Greece and Lebanon, with 18 wines on the by-the-glass pages. Start with the Kalokaíri rosé (16 / 64) or the Chateau Musar "Jeune Rouge" (19 / 76), and confirm current vintages and prices. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
River North · Chicago · American
A short 14-wine list, with most price pairs between $13 and $15 and four single-price wines at $72 to $80. Order the Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling at $13 | 50, or the Provence rosé if you want the one French wine, and ask which number is the glass price. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Westwood · Los Angeles · American, Steakhouse
A Cabernet-first list with 30 glasses and a long bottle book, but no wine prices posted online. If you want a known price, the $9 happy hour Bonanza Cabernet by Caymus is the one posted figure, and if you want to step away from Cabernet, try the Il Bruciato Super Tuscan by the glass. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · American, Steakhouse
A very large list with a long glass section, from a $14 Muscadet to a $90 pour of Krug. Start with the $14/glass Mélon de Bourgogne, then look at the Arizona Selections page if you want an Arizona bottle, and confirm prices because the PDF says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Van Ness / Polk · San Francisco · American, Steakhouse
A serious steakhouse list with a glass program you can actually use: 32 pours by the stem from 14 to 99 and California Cabernet across eight pages. Start with the Keenan Cabernet at 22 by the stem, or step up to the Jordan Alexander Valley at 129 with the Porterhouse, and ask which vintages are current since the list is subject to vintage change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp