Supper Club Glamour With a Serious Wine Backbone
West Village · New York · American · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 19, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Jack & Charlie's No. 118’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walk into Jack & Charlie's No. 118 and the wine list feels exactly like the room: polished, classic, and unapologetically old-school. This is a place that knows its audience — steak-eating, Burgundy-drinking Manhattanites who want a proper bottle without a scavenger hunt. The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence it picked up in 2024 isn't a surprise; this list was built with intention.
The list runs 150 to 250 bottles deep and leans hard into a French-California-Italian axis that suits the supper club format perfectly. California is the anchor — expect serious Napa Cabernet and Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir with real producer depth — while the French side covers Burgundy and Bordeaux châteaux without feeling like a greatest-hits compilation. Italy shows up with Barolo, Barbaresco, and Super Tuscans, rounding out a list that covers all the classics without venturing far into adventurous territory. If you're hunting for esoteric natural wine or obscure Jura pours, look elsewhere — but if you want a beautiful bottle to match a beautiful room, the list delivers.
The by-the-glass program runs 12 to 20 options, which is genuinely solid for a restaurant of this size and ambition. We'd expect the glass pours to mirror the bottle list — California-forward with a few French anchors — though rotation appears limited and the program feels more static than dynamic. Enough to get you started without making you commit to a full bottle, but don't expect weekly surprises.
Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir — $60
In a list that skews toward triple-digit Napa Cabs, a quality Sonoma Coast Pinot in the $60 range gives you elegance and restraint without the sticker shock — and it bridges the gap between the raw bar and the pasta courses beautifully.
Barbaresco
Most tables here are gunning for the Napa Cab or the Burgundy, which means the Barbaresco section gets overlooked. That's your opportunity — Nebbiolo at a proper producer level hits above its weight class in this context and holds its own against the steak program.
Bordeaux Châteaux bottles
Bordeaux is where the markup does its most aggressive work on a list like this. Name-recognition bottles from well-known châteaux are priced for the room, not for the value — you're paying for the label as much as the wine. Redirect that money to Barolo and you'll drink better.
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon + Dry-aged steak
This pairing is exactly what this restaurant was built for. A structured Napa Cab with the tannin and dark fruit to stand up to a serious dry-aged cut is the reason people still dress up and go out to dinner in New York. It's a cliché because it works.
The Bottom Line
Jack & Charlie's No. 118 is the kind of place you bring someone you want to impress, and the wine list doesn't let the room down. It won't surprise you, but it will satisfy you — and in a $12-a-glass city, that's not nothing.
Downtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Downtown is a place where people order Champagne to celebrate, not to drink — and the wine program is built accordingly. If you're here for the vibe and someone else is paying, pop the Dom and enjoy it; if you actually care about what's in your glass, you're in the wrong room.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Upscale Seafood & Steakhouse
Three happy hour wines do not a wine program make. Ocean Prime is a place you eat well and drink safely — but if wine is a priority, this list will let you down before the bread basket arrives.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Midtown is a great place to see and be seen, but the wine list is there to pad the check, not to excite you. If you're here for the experience, lean on the cocktails or grab a glass of Bonanza at the bar — don't expect the bottle list to reward any real curiosity.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown West · New York · Russian-American
The Russian Tea Room treats wine as an afterthought dressed up in Champagne flutes — five famous labels at punishing prices with no range, no by-the-glass program, and no apparent curiosity about wine beyond what looks impressive on a table. Go for the spectacle, order the caviar, but don't come here expecting a wine list.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
David Burke Tavern's list is a Chardonnay lover's comfort zone with a solid sparkling section propping up the top — but the narrow focus and steep pricing mean you're paying for familiarity, not discovery. Send a friend here if they want California whites and a glass of Champagne; send them somewhere else if they want to explore.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
Corima's wine list is proof that ten well-chosen bottles beat a hundred thoughtless ones every time. If you care about what's in your glass, this place is worth your attention.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Union Square · San Francisco · American
The Rotunda is a lunch experience first and a wine destination a distant second — the list is safe, the markup is real, and you're largely paying for the address and the atmosphere. Come for the crab salad and the occasion, order something bubbly, and don't go in expecting a serious wine program.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Eagle Ranch · Vail · American
The Wild Sage is your dependable neighborhood spot in Eagle Ranch — the wine list won't blow your mind, but it won't embarrass you at dinner either. Watch the markups on the top-shelf Napa bottles and stick to the mid-range, and you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Waterfront · Traverse City · American
Warehouse Kitchen + Cork won't win any awards for depth or ambition, but it plays its hand honestly — fair prices, solid local representation, and a full by-the-glass program that respects your wallet. If you're in Traverse City and want a glass of something local with a water view, this works.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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