West Texas hides a serious wine program
Lubbock · Lubbock · Southwestern American, Steakhouse
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 9, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Las Brisas Southwest Steakhouse’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You don't expect to open a wine list in Lubbock and find Chateau Lynch-Bages sitting next to William Chris Vineyards, but here we are. Las Brisas has been holding a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence since 2015, and the list earns it — this isn't a steakhouse wine program running on autopilot. The Southwestern rusticity of the room makes the seriousness of the cellar feel like a genuine surprise.
The list runs 200-plus bottles deep and leans hard into California Cabernet — Jordan, Silver Oak, Caymus, Stag's Leap, Chateau Montelena — which makes perfect sense when you're selling prime ribeyes in Texas. Bordeaux shows up with real intention: Chateau Lynch-Bages is not a filler pick, it's a statement. What separates Las Brisas from the average Texas steakhouse, though, is the commitment to local producers — Llano Estacado, McPherson Cellars, Duchman Family, and William Chris Vineyards all have a seat at the table. The gap is anything outside the California-Texas-Bordeaux triangle; if you're hunting Burgundy, Rhône, or anything from the Southern Hemisphere, you'll come up short.
With 20-35 pours available by the glass, this is a strong program for the format — more than enough to work through a full meal without committing to a bottle. The pours skew predictably toward approachable California names and a Texas producer or two, which is smart for this crowd. We'd love to see more rotation and a Texas spotlight slot that changes seasonally, but what's here covers the table well.
McPherson Cellars — $40-$50
McPherson makes some of the most honest, food-friendly wine in Texas at prices that still make sense at restaurant markup. It's a far better story than another Caymus at four times retail.
Duchman Family Winery
Most people at a steakhouse walk right past the Texas section, but Duchman's Italian-varietal program — think Montepulciano and Vermentino grown in the Hill Country — is quietly one of the best arguments for drinking local. Order it before the table defaults to California on instinct.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is fine wine, but it's also the most marked-up, most over-ordered bottle in every American steakhouse. You're paying a popularity tax here. The same money gets you something with more character and less hype elsewhere on this list.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon + Prime Ribeye
Stag's Leap brings structure and dark fruit without the syrup overload — it cuts through the ribeye's fat and lets the char speak. It's the California Cab on this list that actually earns its place next to a serious piece of beef.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Las Brisas is exactly the kind of wine program you should seek out when you're in a food city that doesn't get enough credit — a real sommelier, a cellar that respects both Napa and the Texas Hill Country, and enough range to reward the curious. It's not cheap, but it's not lazy either, and in Lubbock, that counts for a lot.
Texas Tech / University Area · Lubbock · Winery Restaurant / American Bistro
Burklee Hill at Skyviews is a Wild Card in the best sense — a genuine estate winery experience in the middle of Lubbock, pouring wines that actually reflect their place. If you're curious about Texas wine and not just tolerant of it, this list is worth your time.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Southeast Lubbock · Lubbock · Winery tasting room with light bites
If you think Texas wine is still playing catch-up, English Newsom Cellars will quietly adjust your priors. Come for the Tempranillo, stay for the view, and stop sleeping on what the High Plains can do.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Downtown (Buddy Holly Hall / Depot-area) · Lubbock · Wine Bar & Bistro / New American
Burklee Hill is the rare winery tasting room that actually makes you believe in the place it comes from. If you're eating in Lubbock and want something worth talking about, this is where you go for wine — full stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Greater Lubbock · Lubbock · Wine Tasting Room
Farmhouse Vineyards is doing something genuinely uncommon in Texas wine country — leaning hard into obscure European varieties with an estate-only focus and pricing that doesn't take advantage of the novelty. If you're anywhere near Lubbock and even mildly curious about what Texas terroir can do with Counoise and Malvasia Bianca, this is worth your afternoon.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Outskirts · Lubbock · Winery Tasting Room
English Newsom Cellars is a genuine Texas wine curiosity worth making the detour for — not because everything is world-class, but because where else are you tasting Sagrantino and Picardan grown on the Llano Estacado? Come thirsty, stay open-minded, and put the Flirt back on the shelf.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Outskirts / North Lubbock · Lubbock · Winery / Tasting Room
Pheasant Ridge is a piece of Texas wine history that's still actively making that history, and five dollars gets you in the door. If you're anywhere near Lubbock and care even a little about where American wine comes from, this stop is non-negotiable.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Litchfield Park · Litchfield Park · Southwestern American, Steakhouse
Litchfield's isn't trying to reinvent wine; it's trying to make sure you enjoy a very good bottle of California Cabernet in a room that knows how to treat you right. For a resort steakhouse in the Arizona desert, that's a perfectly honorable goal — and with Christopher McLean steering the ship, they pull it off.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Austin · Austin · Southwestern American, Steakhouse
Lonesome Dove is the right restaurant to order a serious California Cabernet and eat something you've never had before — the wine list is built for exactly that moment. It's not adventurous and it's not cheap, but it's polished, properly maintained, and earns its Wine Spectator badge.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
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