Big Room Energy, Surprisingly Decent Pours
Troy · Detroit · Steakhouse, Seafood, Sushi · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed March 22, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list arrives looking the part — thick, organized, and serious about its California bona fides. At 150-plus bottles, this isn't a list that was phoned in, though it does lean hard on crowd-pleasing Napa and Sonoma with the occasional European cameo to keep things honest. It feels built for the business dinner, the anniversary, the celebration where you want something recognizable and safe.
California dominates — Far Niente, Rombauer, Plumpjack, Orin Swift, and Justin's Isosceles all show up, which tells you exactly who this list is dressed for. That said, there's genuine range beyond the Napa comfort zone: Renato Ratti's Barolo from Piedmont, Trimbach Riesling from Alsace, and a nod to Willamette Valley and New Zealand give the list some actual backbone. The gaps are real though — Burgundy feels thin, Spain barely exists, and South America is essentially absent. A sommelier is on staff, which helps, but the list reads like it was curated for maximum familiarity rather than maximum discovery.
Eighteen-plus options by the glass is a genuinely solid count for a steakhouse format, spanning $12 to $42 and covering Champagne, California reds and whites, rosé, and at least one Italian. The Whispering Angel rosé at $18 glass is a reliable crowd-pleaser and moves fast here. Rotation appears minimal — this is a set program, not one that surprises you on a return visit.
Pinot Noir, Summer Dreams, 'Stargazing,' Sonoma Coast, 2023 — $50
Retail on this bottle sits around $60, meaning the restaurant is barely marking it up — a rare moment of restraint on a list that otherwise charges hard. Sonoma Coast Pinot at near-retail pricing alongside Chilean Sea Bass? That's the move.
Barolo, Renato Ratti, 'Marcenaso,' Piedmont, Italy, 2021
Most tables in this room are reaching for Napa Cab. The Ratti Barolo at $47 is sitting there quietly offering a proper Nebbiolo experience — tar, roses, structure — at a markup that's actually reasonable by Ocean Prime standards. It's the most interesting bottle on the list and almost nobody orders it.
Chardonnay, Rombauer, Carneros, California, 2023
Rombauer retails around $75 and they're pouring it at $28 a glass — meaning a bottle equivalent is running you north of $100 before you've even looked at the bottle list. It's a fine wine, but it's also the safe, buttery choice that half the table already knows, and you're paying a 168% markup for that comfort. There are better calls here.
Barolo, Renato Ratti, 'Marcenaso,' Piedmont, Italy, 2021 + Chilean Sea Bass
Hear us out — a lighter-styled Barolo like the Ratti 'Marcenaso' has enough acidity and savory depth to cut through the richness of a butter-basted sea bass without bulldozing it the way a Napa Cab would. It's an unconventional call that the sommelier will back you up on if you ask.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Ocean Prime Troy is a reliable anchor for a serious meal — the sommelier presence is real, the list has more range than the room suggests, and a few bottles are priced with actual fairness. Just go in with your eyes open on the markups and steer clear of the obvious crowd-pleasers if you want the best of what this list actually has to offer.
Renaissance Center · Detroit · Regional Steakhouse
Highlands is a reliable special-occasion wine stop backed by a knowledgeable sommelier in Kevin Williams and a Wine Spectator Award it's held since 2022. The list won't surprise you, but at 71 floors up with a bone-in ribeye in front of you, you probably weren't asking it to.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Corktown · Detroit · Italian, Swiss
Alpino is doing something genuinely unusual for Detroit — an alpine-themed kitchen with a wine list that actually matches the room's ambition, not just its vibe. Send your friends here, tell them to order Austrian, and sit near the fireplace.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Southfield · Detroit · Northern Italian
Bacco is the kind of wine program that makes you feel like Detroit's been holding out on you — 11,000 bottles, a sommelier who actually knows the cellar, and a room serious enough to let a 2000 Gaja breathe properly. The prices will make your eyes water, but this is a destination list worth the trip.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Rochester Hills · Detroit · Italian
La Collina is a perfectly decent neighborhood Italian spot that treats its wine list like an afterthought — familiar names, steep markups, no real sense of curation or care. Drink the Brunello or order a Negroni and don't look back.
Crowd Pleasers
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Detroit · Detroit · Contemporary American
The Apparatus Room is the wine list Detroit didn't know it needed — thoughtful, fairly priced, and backed by a sommelier who actually shows up. If you're eating downtown and you care about what's in your glass, this is your spot.
Solid Range
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Unknown · Detroit · Steakhouse
Shanahan's is playing a different game than most Detroit restaurants — the wine list is destination-worthy on its own merits, even if the markups reflect the ambition. If you're serious about wine with your steak, this is where you go.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · Cincinnati · Steakhouse, Seafood, Sushi
Jeff Ruby's is a steakhouse wine list that takes itself seriously — deep cellar, knowledgeable staff, proper glassware — but the markups remind you that you're paying for the room as much as the wine. Come for a special occasion, order strategically, and you'll leave happy.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · Louisville · Steakhouse, Seafood, Sushi
Jeff Ruby's has the bones of a great wine program — depth, proper storage, knowledgeable staff, serious glassware — but the pricing on mid-tier bottles is aggressive enough to sting. Go for the Spottswoode, avoid anything you recognize from a grocery store shelf, and enjoy the show.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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