Columbus's Big Steak Meets a Serious Cellar
Columbus · Columbus · American, Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 9, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The list lands like the room looks — big, theatrical, and unapologetically expensive. Flipping through 400-plus selections in a white-tablecloth steakhouse that's been earning Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence since 2019, you get the sense that someone here takes wine seriously. California, France, and Italy form the backbone, and they've stocked accordingly.
The California section reads like a greatest hits reel — Caymus, Silver Oak, Opus One, Jordan, Stag's Leap, Far Niente, Duckhorn — all the names a serious steak crowd expects, and they're present in depth, not just as token pours. France gets its due with Chateau Margaux anchoring the Bordeaux side and Louis Jadot representing Burgundy, though the French section could run deeper given the caliber of the room. Italy punches above its weight here: Sassicaia and Tignanello give the Super Tuscans a legitimate foothold, and that's not something you see everywhere in Columbus. There are gaps if you're hunting natural wine or anything from the Southern Hemisphere, but that's clearly not the point.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a generous program for a steakhouse of this size, and the range tracks what's in the bottle list — expect California Cabernet to dominate, with a handful of whites and maybe a Burgundy option on a good night. We'd steer toward whatever Cabernet they're pouring by the glass before committing to a full bottle, just to take the temperature of where storage and service are sitting that evening. Rotation isn't confirmed as active, so don't count on seasonal surprises.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $80
Jordan is the sleeper of the California Cab world — consistently excellent, built for red meat, and almost always the most honestly priced bottle on a steakhouse list relative to what's around it. In a lineup that trends toward three-digit territory, this is where the smart money goes.
Chateau Montelena Chardonnay
Everyone at the table is ordering Cabernet, which means Montelena's Chardonnay gets overlooked almost every time. It's a serious, age-worthy white with more complexity than most people expect — and it holds its own against the lobster bisque or crab cakes in a way the big reds simply can't.
Opus One
Opus One is a genuinely impressive wine, but steakhouses are where it goes to get marked up into the stratosphere. You're almost certainly paying a significant premium over retail, and the honest truth is that Jordan or Silver Oak will come closer to the price-to-pleasure sweet spot at this table.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon + USDA Prime dry-aged bone-in ribeye
Stag's Leap brings a structured, Napa-polished Cab with enough dark fruit and tannin to stand toe-to-toe with a dry-aged ribeye without bulldozing it. The wine's natural elegance plays off the fat and char of the bone-in cut in exactly the way you want from a classic steakhouse pairing.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Jeff Ruby's is doing the steakhouse wine list right — deep cellar, Wine Spectator credentials, and enough California firepower to keep any red wine drinker busy all night. Bring your appetite for both the ribeye and the markup, because this room doesn't apologize for either.
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Surprising Depth
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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The Refectory has been doing this quietly and correctly since 2003, and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence held that long doesn't happen by accident. If you're in Columbus and serious about wine, this is the room — full stop.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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Mastro's Columbus is a trophy-wine steakhouse doing what trophy-wine steakhouses do — and doing it well enough to earn a Wine Spectator credential in its first year. If you're celebrating something, drinking California cab with a great steak, and not particularly interested in venturing off the map, this list will absolutely deliver.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
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Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
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Due Amici isn't a destination wine list, but it's honest, fairly priced, and hides a surprisingly thoughtful dessert wine program that most tables never discover. Send a friend here for dinner — just make sure they order something from the back of the list.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Geneva · Geneva · American, Steakhouse
The James is a dependable California-focused steakhouse list that earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for doing one thing consistently well. If you're there for the beef and the big reds, you'll leave satisfied — just go in with your eyes open on the markups.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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A Wisconsin supper club earning a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence is genuinely surprising, and Green Acres earns it by stocking a focused, California-forward list that's built for exactly the kind of food it serves. It won't impress the natural wine crowd, but it'll take great care of anyone who wants a proper bottle with a proper steak in a historic room off the highway.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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