Classic Napa Power Move, Downtown Colorado Springs
Downtown · Colorado Springs · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 2, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at MacKenzie's announces itself the way a guy in a blazer at a steakhouse does — confident, familiar, and not trying to surprise you. It's a Napa-forward lineup built for the business dinner crowd and anniversary tables, and it knows exactly who it's serving. Nothing here is going to raise your pulse, but it's not going to embarrass you either.
The list runs 150-250 bottles deep, leaning hard into Napa Cabernet with the hits you'd expect — Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Duckhorn — plus a supporting cast from Sonoma, Washington State, and Bordeaux. It's a greatest-hits compilation rather than a curation: every bottle is something your uncle has heard of, which is either a feature or a bug depending on your table. Washington and Bordeaux add some welcome structure, but the list doesn't stray far from the well-worn path. If you're hunting for a Willamette Pinot, a Rhône, or anything with a cork from the Old World outside of France, good luck.
The by-the-glass program clocks in at 15-25 options, which is respectable for a steakhouse of this size and profile. Expect the usual red-heavy rotation anchored by Cabernet and Merlot — solid for the format, even if rotation and freshness aren't clearly advertised. No evidence of a wine-by-the-glass discovery program here; what you see is what you get, and what you get is safe.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — null
Jordan consistently delivers Napa Cab quality at a price point below the big names — if MacKenzie's is pricing it anywhere near fair, it's the bottle we'd reach for over the flashier labels on this list. Approachable, well-structured, and it belongs next to a ribeye without apology.
Duckhorn Merlot
Everyone at the table is going to order Cab, which means the Duckhorn Merlot gets ignored. That's a mistake. Duckhorn basically rebuilt Merlot's reputation after Sideways torched it, and a glass here next to the filet is genuinely one of the better calls on this list.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is everywhere — and at a steakhouse with steep markups, you're almost certainly paying a significant premium over retail for a wine that's been pushed hard enough that it's lost most of its mystique. The wine isn't bad; the price-to-value equation at a place like this usually is.
Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon + Prime Ribeye
Silver Oak's Alexander Valley Cab is built for exactly this moment — it's got the fruit weight and tannin structure to stand up to a well-marbled ribeye without overwhelming it. It's the crowd-pleasing choice that actually earns its place on the table.
✔️ The Bottom Line
MacKenzie's is a reliable steakhouse wine list — dependable, familiar, and priced for an expense account rather than a value hunter. If you're after a classic Napa Cab with a great steak in a room that feels like a special occasion, it delivers; just don't expect to be surprised.
Broadmoor · Colorado Springs · Steakhouse and American
La Taverne is a well-run, properly staffed wine program inside one of Colorado's most storied resort properties — expect to pay for the privilege and the setting. If you stick to Jordan and Peter Michael and resist the siren call of the trophy bottles, you'll drink very well here.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Broadmoor · Colorado Springs · Italian (Northern Italian, trattoria-style)
Ristorante del Lago is the rare resort restaurant where the wine program actually earns some respect — the Italian focus is real, the sommelier knows the list, and a few genuinely exciting bottles are hiding in there if you look past the marquee names. Just go in knowing you're paying Broadmoor prices, and order accordingly.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Colorado Springs · Colorado Springs · Steakhouse
Famous Steakhouse is the dependable old hand — the wine list won't excite you, but it won't embarrass you either, and with a prime rib in front of you and a Stag's Leap in the glass, that's a perfectly decent Thursday night. Just don't come looking for discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Manitou Springs · Colorado Springs · Mexican / Tex-Mex
Crystal Park Cantina is a genuinely fun spot for tacos and margaritas with a mountain view — lean into that and skip the wine entirely. The list is overpriced grocery store inventory with no ambition, and no amount of scenery changes that.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Manitou Springs · Colorado Springs · Upscale American, Contemporary Fine Dining
The Cliff House wine program is the dependable friend who always shows up dressed well — you know exactly what you're getting, and it's genuinely good, even if it never blows your mind. For a special occasion in the mountains, this is a comfortable, well-run room that will take care of you.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / West Colorado · Colorado Springs · Fine Dining / Steak & Seafood
Pepper Tree is a reliable wine stop for what it is — a classic Colorado fine-dining room where the tableside Steak Diane is the main event and the wine list is a well-behaved supporting cast. Don't come here chasing discovery, but do come knowing you'll drink decently without drama.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Abilene · Steakhouse
Cattleman's Exchange isn't a wine destination, but it's not a disaster either — it's a hotel steakhouse doing hotel steakhouse things. If you're in Abilene and need a Cab with your beef, you'll find something that works; just don't expect the list to surprise you.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Springfield · Steakhouse
LongHorn Springfield isn't a wine destination — but with markups this low and pours this affordable, it's one of the better casual chain options in Illinois for a simple red with a big steak. Send a friend here for dinner; just don't tell them to geek out over the list.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Frontera · Round Rock · Steakhouse
Saltgrass Round Rock is exactly what it looks like: a chain steakhouse wine list on autopilot, built around brand names, sweet crowd-pleasers, and markups that assume you're not paying attention. Order a beer or a cocktail and save the wine for somewhere that actually cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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