Knife Italian Steak
California muscle meets Italian soul, beautifully
Irving · Irving · Italian Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 9, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Knife Italian Steak lands like a confident double down — California heavyweights on one side, Italian icons on the other, and enough depth to make you reconsider whatever you were planning to order. This is a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence list (2025) and it shows from page one. The format is polished, the range is serious, and this is clearly not an afterthought.
Selection Deep Dive
Two regions run the show here, and they run it well. On the California side, you've got the full power lineup: Caymus Cabernet, Silver Oak Alexander Valley, Opus One, and Stag's Leap CASK 23 — essentially a greatest-hits of Napa and Sonoma with no apologies. Italy matches it step for step with Sassicaia, Tignanello, Giacomo Conterno Barolo, and Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino — four names that represent the absolute ceiling of Italian winemaking. The whites don't get ignored either: Far Niente and Chateau Montelena Chardonnay bring legitimate California pedigree. If you wanted more exploration outside these two regions, you'll need to look elsewhere — but if California and Italy are your world, this list delivers.
By the Glass
With 20-35 by-the-glass options starting around $15, there's genuine range for glass drinkers rather than the usual four-options-and-a-shrug treatment. The program skews toward the same California-Italy axis as the bottle list, which is consistent if not adventurous. Rotation details weren't confirmed, but at this price point and ambition level, expect the pours to reflect the room.
Chateau Montelena Chardonnay — $60s range
A Judgment of Paris winner that tends to be underpriced relative to its legacy. Clean, structured, and built for food — exactly what you want next to housemade pasta or burrata.
Giacomo Conterno Barolo
Most people ordering here are gravitating toward Napa Cab, which means the Conterno often goes overlooked. That's a mistake. This is one of the most respected Barolo producers on the planet, and sharing a list with Opus One means it's probably not getting the attention it deserves.
Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
It's fine wine, but Caymus has become the house Cab of every steakhouse in America. At restaurant markup, you're paying a premium for a label that's available at every Total Wine in Texas. The CASK 23 or Silver Oak Alexander Valley is a better use of your money if you're going California Cab.
Sassicaia + 40-day dry-aged ribeye
Sassicaia is Cabernet-dominant with serious structure and an earthy, savory backbone that was basically engineered for aged beef. The dry-aged ribeye's funky, concentrated flavor needs a wine with enough spine to stand up to it — and Sassicaia has exactly that.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Knife Italian Steak is a legitimate destination wine list in an unlikely suburb zip code, and the California-Italy double focus gives it a clear identity that most steakhouses lack. The markups are real and there's no sommelier to guide you, but the bones here are excellent — trust the list.
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