California Cab Country, Right in Minneapolis
Downtown Minneapolis · Minneapolis · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Manny's Steak House’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Manny's arrives like the restaurant itself — heavy, confident, and not here to apologize for anything. This is a California Cabernet shrine wrapped in dark wood and white tablecloths, and it makes no pretense of being anything else. If you walked in hoping for a Beaujolais or a crisp Grüner, adjust your expectations immediately.
With 400 to 600 bottles and a clear thesis — California red wine is king — Manny's delivers exactly what a power-lunch steakhouse should. The heavy hitters are all present: Opus One, Shafer Hillside Select, Ridge Monte Bello, Far Niente, Silver Oak, and Caymus anchor a Napa-forward list that reads like a greatest-hits compilation from the Wine Spectator Top 100 circa 2005 to present. Beyond California, the list thins out considerably — this isn't the place to hunt for Barolo or Willamette Pinot. What it lacks in geographic breadth, it makes up for in depth within its chosen lane, and that lane is paved with old-vine Cab.
Twenty to thirty-five by-the-glass options is genuinely generous for a steakhouse of this style, and the pours skew toward the approachable end of the California spectrum — think Jordan and Duckhorn rather than Hillside Select by the stem. Rotation appears minimal; this is a set-and-forget program that prioritizes reliability over discovery. Still, landing a solid Jordan Cabernet by the glass with a bone-in ribeye is not a bad night.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $80
Jordan is a workhorse California Cab with real pedigree — structured, food-friendly, and consistently well-made. In a list where triple-digit bottles dominate, Jordan consistently lands as the sweet spot between quality and wallet damage.
Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello
Every table is ordering Caymus or Silver Oak, which means Monte Bello — one of California's most intellectual and age-worthy Cabernet blends — gets overlooked. It's a completely different expression of California: earthy, restrained, built for the long haul. Order it and feel smug about it.
Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is a perfectly fine wine that every restaurant in America marks up to the moon because people recognize the label. You're almost certainly paying a 3x to 4x retail premium here for something you could grab at Total Wine on your way home. The name does the work; the wine doesn't earn the restaurant price tag.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon + Dry-aged prime ribeye
Stag's Leap brings that classic Napa structure — firm tannins, dark fruit, a backbone built for red meat — without the bombast of some of its neighbors on the list. Against a dry-aged ribeye with serious fat content and mineral depth, it holds its ground and elevates both.
The Bottom Line
Manny's is exactly what it is — a California Cab cathedral with a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence to prove it's serious. If you're coming for adventurous wine discovery, look elsewhere; if you're coming to eat a great steak and drink great Napa Cabernet in a room that feels like 1998 never ended, this is your place.
Downtown · Minneapolis · Brazilian churrascaria / Brazilian steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Minneapolis is a reliably fun night out if you're there for the meat spectacle — and you should be. The wine list is a supporting cast that knows its role: keep people happy, don't surprise anyone, move on. If wine is more than an afterthought for you, lower your expectations before you open the menu.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Loop / Warehouse District · Minneapolis · Modern Argentinian Steakhouse
Porzana punches above its class for a Minneapolis steakhouse — the Italian and Argentine selections show genuine curation, and the Fenocchio Barolo alone justifies a serious wine order. Just go in with eyes open on markups and skip the entry-level bottles unless you're pouring by the glass.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lowry Hill · Minneapolis · Steakhouse and Wood-Fired Pizza
Burch has the bones of a genuinely great wine program — knowledgeable staff, proper storage, and a list that respects the classics — but the pricing strategy on the mid-tier and entry-level bottles will test your patience. Go big or go home: the value-to-quality ratio only really clicks once you're spending $200+.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / North Loop · Minneapolis · New American / Contemporary American
112 Eatery's wine list is punching well above its weight for a Minneapolis neighborhood bistro, with a genuinely distinctive Old World focus and producers that belong on serious lists anywhere in the country. The markups sting on a few bottles, but the curation earns enough goodwill to keep us coming back.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Uptown · Minneapolis · French Bistro
Barbette is a wine list built by someone who actually drinks wine and wants you to as well — it's small, French, and surprisingly legit for a neighborhood bistro in Uptown. If you're a natural wine fan or just someone who wants good Beaujolais with steak frites, send your friends here.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Loring Park · Minneapolis · New American
Cafe Lurcat is a reliable, well-staffed wine program in one of Minneapolis's prettiest dining rooms — just know you're paying a premium for the address and the ambiance. Ask the sommelier for help navigating the list and you'll drink well; go on autopilot and order the obvious Napa Cab and you'll leave having spent more than you should have.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Baltimore · American
Give the international and local sections a look before defaulting to Burgundy. Sula at $70 and Old Westminster at $90 offer different budget options. These are posted bottle prices, not guaranteed stock; confirm availability. This menu guide doesn't rate service or cellar conditions.
· Key West · American
Caroline's Café is not a wine destination, and it's not trying to be — the identical pricing across all five house labels makes that abundantly clear. If you're in Key West looking for something interesting in your glass, keep walking; if you just need a cold pour of Chardonnay with your lunch and aren't asking questions, $8 gets you there without drama.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kerns · Portland · American
Noble Rot is the rare restaurant wine program that would hold up as a standalone wine bar — deep list, sharp staff, fair prices, and a view that makes the whole experience feel earned. Send your friends here. Send yourself here.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
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