Serious Pours in High Desert Steak Country
Downtown · Taos · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 27, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Martyrs Steakhouse’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The list opens with a confidence you don't expect from a steakhouse sitting at 7,000 feet in northern New Mexico. Seventy-five labels, Cristal, Dom P, a Bâtard-Montrachet — this isn't a tourist trap wine program. It's trying, and mostly succeeding, to be taken seriously.
California anchors the list hard, with Caymus, Silver Oak, Far Niente, and Château Montelena doing the heavy lifting in the crowd-pleaser lane. The real surprise is the Italian flank: Vietti Barolo Castiglione and the Gaja-affiliated Pieve Santa Restituta Sugarille Brunello are legitimately serious bottles that have no business being this far off the beaten path. Brick House Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir from Oregon adds a left-field pick that shows someone here is paying attention. A nod to New Mexico producers rounds things out and earns local credibility, though the regional selections are outgunned by the prestige imports.
Twenty-three by-the-glass options is a generous pour for a steakhouse of this size, and the $7–$15 price window keeps it accessible. We don't have full visibility into the rotating BTG lineup, but that range suggests house pours at the bottom and something with a pulse at the top — just ask your server what's open.
Vietti Barolo Castiglione — null
Barolo from Vietti on a steakhouse list in Taos is genuinely surprising. It's a world-class producer making serious Nebbiolo, and if it's priced anywhere near the lower end of this list's bottle range, it's the smartest order in the house — especially alongside the ribeye.
Brick House Ribbon Ridge Cuvee du Tonnelier Pinot Noir
Everyone at this table is ordering Caymus. Don't be everyone. Brick House is a biodynamic Oregon producer flying under the radar on most steakhouse lists, and their Ribbon Ridge Cuvee du Tonnelier is the kind of Pinot that actually makes you stop mid-bite. It's the contrarian call, and it's the right one.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
At $150 a bottle, Caymus is doing what Caymus always does — charging premium prices on the back of brand recognition. Retail runs around $80–$90, putting the markup in eye-watering territory. It's a fine wine, but you can drink better for less on this same list.
Gaja Brunello di Montalcino Pieve Santa Restituta Sugarille 2007 + Prime Ribeye
A 2007 Brunello from Pieve Santa Restituta — the Gaja estate in Montalcino — is a mature, structured Sangiovese with the kind of iron grip and dark fruit that was built to cut through a fat-marbled prime ribeye. This is the splurge pairing that earns its price tag.
The Bottom Line
Martyrs is punching above its weight class for a steakhouse in Taos — the Italian selections alone make it worth a look. The markups are real and the pricing on the classics is aggressive, but if you order smart, this list rewards you.
· Taos · German
The Bavarian's wine program is an afterthought in a setting that deserves better. If you're here, drink the Glühwein, enjoy the view, and save the wine conversation for dinner back in town.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Taos · Contemporary American
NOSA is doing something genuinely rare: curating a short, smart, globally curious wine list in a place where no one would expect it. The pricing is fair, the picks are specific, and the list has a clear point of view. If you're driving through Taos and care about what's in your glass, this is the room to be in.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Taos · Contemporary American
medley. has no business running a wine list this considered in a small New Mexico mountain town, and yet here we are. Pricing is fair across the board, the selection leans curious over commercial, and the rosé section alone is worth the visit. If you're in Taos and care about what's in your glass, this is where you eat.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Northside / Paseo del Pueblo Norte · Taos · Burger / American
Come for the burgers — seriously, people love them — but manage your wine expectations hard. This list is a placeholder, not a program, and you're paying convenience store wine prices at restaurant markups.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Taos Plaza Alley · Taos · Mexican bar & grill
We would never send anyone to The Alley Cantina specifically for the wine, but we'd absolutely send them for the vibe — and if you hit that 5–7pm happy hour, a $5 glass of Porto while a band tunes up is one of Taos's more charming small pleasures. The Wild Card badge isn't for the list quality; it's for the unexpected delight of finding Warre's Warrior in a cantina that also has a pool table.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Northside / Historic Chapel · Taos · Northern New Mexican, organic, locally sourced
The Love Apple is a Wild Card in the best possible way — a tiny organic wine list in a centuries-old adobe chapel that somehow makes more sense than most dedicated wine bars. If you're a Pinot person with a soft spot for biodynamic producers, this is your kind of detour.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· West Palm Beach · Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris West Palm Beach delivers exactly what the brand promises: a safe, accessible wine list built around familiar producers and crowd-pleasing styles. The all-by-the-glass format is a genuine plus, and a few selections like the Siduri Willamette Pinot and Chalk Hill Chardonnay are worth your time — but markups are steep and the list won't reward curiosity. If you're here for the steak, you'll find something to drink; just don't expect the wine to be the reason you came.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Charlotte · Steakhouse
The Palm Charlotte's wine list is a six-bottle natural wine curio hiding inside a chain steakhouse, and it's more interesting than it has any right to be. The Crochet Sancerre at $23 alone is worth the detour. Don't expect breadth, staff guidance, or a by-the-glass program worth writing home about — but if you know what you're looking at, this short list punches well above its weight.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Riverwalk · San Antonio · Steakhouse
Brenner's on the Riverwalk punches above the average tourist-strip steakhouse — 159 labels with real dessert wine depth and some genuine international range is nothing to dismiss. Pricing is likely steep given the location, and the list skews traditional, but if you know what you're looking for, there's something worth ordering here. Go in with a plan, skip the obvious bottles, and don't leave without looking at the dessert wine section.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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