Henderson's Serious Wine Room Nobody Talks About
Green Valley · Henderson · Steak house
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Hank's Fine Steaks & Martinis’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Hank's lands with real weight — 400 to 600 bottles deep, curated by an on-staff sommelier, and anchored by the kind of California and French heavyweights that actually belong at a serious steakhouse. This is not a list that got thrown together by a manager who drinks beer. Wine Spectator has handed out a Best of Award of Excellence here every year since 2015, and one look at the selections tells you why.
California dominates the top shelf in the way you'd expect — Caymus, Silver Oak, Chateau Montelena, Stag's Leap, Beringer Private Reserve, and Opus One all have seats at the table — but the list doesn't stop at the obvious. France shows up properly, with Chateau Margaux and Chateau Lynch-Bages holding down Bordeaux and Louis Jadot representing Burgundy. Italy gets a meaningful nod via Antinori's Tignanello, and Oregon's Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir adds a quieter, cooler-climate voice to what is otherwise a big, bold, red-wine-with-red-meat lineup. The gaps are minor — you're not finding deep natural wine exploration or much in the way of South America or Germany — but for a classic American steakhouse, the breadth is genuinely impressive.
Twenty to thirty glass pour options is a generous program for a restaurant of this size, and sommelier Brian Browning's fingerprints are on the selections. You're not going to find esoteric pours by the glass, but the range covers enough ground that you can drink well before committing to a bottle. Rotation details are limited from our research, but the depth of the bottle list suggests the glass program is treated as a real entry point rather than an afterthought.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir — $60
In a list stacked with $150+ Napa Cabs, the Drouhin Pinot punches above its weight and gives you something genuinely different — earthy, bright, and food-friendly in a way that most of the big California reds on this list simply aren't.
Chateau Lynch-Bages
Everyone at the table is ordering Caymus or Silver Oak. Meanwhile, Lynch-Bages — a perennial overachiever from Pauillac — is sitting there with more complexity and age-worthiness than most of what surrounds it. If Browning has a proper vintage on the list, this is the move.
Opus One
Opus One is the wine you order when you want to impress someone who doesn't know much about wine. The markup at a place like this will be punishing, and for that money you can do significantly better on this very same list.
Antinori Tignanello + Dry-aged ribeye
Tignanello's Sangiovese backbone and Super Tuscan structure are built for charred, fatty beef. The acidity cuts through the richness of a dry-aged ribeye in a way that a straight Napa Cab often can't, and the earthy complexity of the wine elevates the whole plate.
The Bottom Line
Hank's is the rare Henderson restaurant that takes its wine program as seriously as its steaks — sommelier on staff, deep cellar, credentialed list, and glassware to match. The markups sting, but this is a legitimate destination wine experience hiding in the suburbs.
· Henderson · Upscale Italian
Lexie's Bistro is a genuinely appealing restaurant — strong service, a beautiful room, and a kitchen turning out crowd-pleasing Italian that reviewers keep coming back for. The wine program, based on what we can confirm, plays it predictably safe with West Coast heavy-hitters and doesn't lean into the Italian food as much as it should. It's a reliable stop for a glass with dinner, but don't come expecting a wine-forward experience. Come for the carbonara; the wine list will follow.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Henderson · Italian
Trattoria Italia is clearly a restaurant that cares about its food and its room — the vodka rigatoni and seafood linguine have fans, and the vibe earns its date-night reputation. But the wine program is an afterthought at best, and at a price point where you'd expect at least a thoughtful Italian-focused list, four labels feels like a real missed opportunity. Order a cocktail or bring your own if corkage is an option — and check before you go.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Henderson · Contemporary Italian
This is not a wine list — it's four wines — but they're four good, regionally diverse Italian wines at fair prices from real producers. If you're eating at North Italia Henderson and someone at your table knows what Greco di Tufo or Negroamaro actually are, you'll be pleasantly surprised. If you're expecting depth, options, or a proper cellar program, you won't find it here.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Henderson · Henderson · Wine Pub / Casual Dining
Rock N Grapes earns its Wild Card badge by being genuinely fun in a wine scene that desperately needs more casual entry points. We'd go back for the vibe alone — and we'd bring someone who thinks wine bars are intimidating, because this one isn't.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Henderson · Wine Bar / Bottle Shop
Azzurra punches above its Henderson address, especially on bubbles — this is the kind of thoughtful small list that rewards people who actually read it. We'd send a friend here without hesitation, as long as they stay away from the $28 Merlot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Henderson · Wine Bar / Contemporary American
Parlour is a genuine surprise in a market that usually plays it safe — a focused, all-by-the-glass list with real Old World ambition at prices that don't insult you. If you're passing through Henderson and need a wine stop, this is it.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Capitol Square · Madison · Steak house
Rare is a reliable wine destination for Napa devotees visiting Madison — the list is familiar by design, the WS Award of Excellence is well-earned, and the setting delivers. Just don't come here looking for natural wine or anything that strays from the California playbook.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Brookfield · Brookfield · Steak house
Mr. B's is a reliable, well-kept steakhouse wine list that knows its audience and serves them well — just don't expect any surprises. If you're a California Cab loyalist heading out for a serious steak dinner in the Milwaukee suburbs, this is your spot.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
West Loop · Chicago · Steak house
BLVD Steakhouse doesn't reinvent the steakhouse wine list, but it executes the formula competently — solid producers, proper storage, and enough range to keep a table of Cab loyalists happy all night. Just go in with your eyes open on the markups and skip the trophy-bottle trap.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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