Gaucho Knives Meet Serious California Cabs
Koreatown · Los Angeles · Brazilian Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into M Grill, the scene hits you fast — gaucho servers in full regalia, meat flying off skewers, and a room that's genuinely buzzing. Then you open the wine list and realize this place is more serious about bottles than the churrascaria format would suggest. A Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence hanging on a Brazilian steakhouse on Wilshire is its own kind of plot twist.
The list clocks in at 300-500 bottles with a clear California-first mentality backed by strong French and Italian support — exactly the trifecta Wine Spectator flagged when handing out that award. You've got Opus One, Caymus, Silver Oak, and Jordan anchoring the Napa side, while Chateau Margaux and Lynch-Bages hold it down for Bordeaux, and Sassicaia and Tignanello represent Italy's heavy hitters. It's not the most adventurous list in the world — don't come hunting for grower Champagne or esoteric Jura — but for a meat-forward room, the depth in Cabernet Sauvignon and big reds is exactly what you'd want. The gaps are real: limited Southern Hemisphere options is a mild irony for a Brazilian concept, and natural wine seekers will feel very alone here.
Fifteen to twenty-five options by the glass is a respectable pour program for this format, and it means you can work through dinner without committing to a full bottle before your third skewer of picanha arrives. We'd want to see more rotation to keep regulars engaged, but the anchors are solid enough that you're not stuck choosing between bad options. Wednesday's half-price wine night is the sleeper deal on this list — more on that below.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $145
Jordan Alexander Valley Cab is the move if you want Napa-adjacent quality without paying full Napa ego pricing. It's the most food-friendly pour on the list for the money, and it'll handle every cut that comes off those skewers without fighting them.
Antinori Tignanello
Everyone in this room is ordering Caymus or Silver Oak, which means Tignanello is sitting there for the rare guest who knows what a Sangiovese-Cabernet blend from one of Italy's great estates actually tastes like. It's a more complex, more interesting glass than most of what's getting ordered, and it genuinely loves red meat.
Château Margaux 2018
At $950 a bottle, you're paying a serious restaurant premium on a wine that needs another decade in the cellar to open up properly. If you're going to drop that kind of money, at least do it on a wine that's ready to drink tonight — this one isn't, and no amount of skewered beef is going to change that.
Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon + Picanha
Caymus is a big, fruit-forward Napa Cab with enough richness to stand up to picanha's fat cap and beefy intensity without overwhelming the natural sweetness of the sirloin cap. It's not a subtle pairing, but subtle was never on the menu here.
Wednesday — Half-price wine night every Wednesday — the single best reason to rearrange your week. This is when the Silver Oak and Sassicaia start looking like reasonable decisions.
🎲 The Bottom Line
M Grill earns its Wine Spectator badge — the list is real, the depth is there, and Wednesday half-price wine night makes it one of the better deals in LA for a proper bottle with serious meat. Just know you're paying steakhouse markups across the board, so pick your spots carefully.
Downtown Los Angeles · Los Angeles · French-inspired, New American
Perch is a place people go for the view, the scene, and the Instagram moment — the wine list knows this and doesn't try very hard. Order something simple, enjoy the skyline, and save your serious wine drinking for a restaurant that wants to earn it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Hollywood · Los Angeles · Upscale Italian, Seafood
Marino is a reliable, well-curated Italian wine list that earns its stripes on selection and staff knowledge, even if the pricing makes you wince on the everyday bottles. Send a friend here for the Guidalberto and the Franciacorta — just steer them away from anything under $60.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Hollywood · Los Angeles · Neapolitan Italian, Pizza
Da Michele's wine list is narrow by design and better for it — a focused, fairly priced tour through Southern Italy that most pizza spots in LA wouldn't dare attempt. If you're even mildly curious about Campanian wine, this is one of the better excuses in the city to start learning.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Los Angeles · Los Angeles · Seafood
Water Grill is a reliable choice for serious wine with serious seafood — the list is deep enough to reward exploration, and the sommelier presence means you can actually ask for help. The markups sting, but this is Downtown LA and you knew that walking in.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Bel-Air · Los Angeles · Modern Californian with European/Mediterranean influences
This is a serious wine list dressed in a garden party — the depth is real, the sommelier is engaged, and if you're willing to pay the Bel-Air premium, the experience delivers. Just go in knowing the bill will reflect the hedge-lined address.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Beverly Grove / West Hollywood · Los Angeles · Greek / Mediterranean
Kassi Club is a party restaurant with a wine list that punches above its vibe — if you ignore the markup and order Greek, you're going to drink well. Send a friend here specifically to work through the indigenous varietals; just tell them to skip the Chablis.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Provo · Provo · Brazilian Steakhouse
Come to Tucanos for the meat parade — it's genuinely fun and the churrasco is the whole point. But skip the wine list entirely and order a caipirinha instead; the wine program is a missed opportunity that no one on staff seems bothered by.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
University Dr. East · College Station · Brazilian Steakhouse
Casa Do Brasil does the job — the list is functional, has a few genuine wines worth ordering, and everything pours by the glass which fits the format. The markups are real and consistent, so go in with eyes open and steer toward the Ridge or the Catena Alta to get actual value out of what they're offering.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
The Star / Warren Parkway · Frisco · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Frisco isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes that clear — but it's doing enough of the right things with legitimate South American producers to avoid embarrassment. Drink the Malbec, skip the markup on the prestige bottles, and stay focused on why you actually came here.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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