The Wine List That Phoned It In
Airport Area · Irvine · Upscale Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 22, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Ruth's Chris Steak House – Irvine’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You open the wine list at Ruth's Chris Irvine and it feels less like a curated selection and more like a greatest hits album from 2007 Napa. Everything is exactly where you'd expect it to be, and that's not a compliment. It's a corporate list designed to impress people who already know the brand names — not to surprise anyone.
The list runs 100+ labels and stays almost entirely in California's comfort zone: Napa Cabs, Sonoma Chards, and a smattering of French Champagne for the celebration table. You'll find Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Duckhorn, Rombauer, Cakebread, Belle Glos — a murderers' row of recognizable bottles that look great on an expense report but offer zero discovery. There's nothing wrong with any of these wines individually, but the list as a whole reads like it was assembled by committee and hasn't been meaningfully updated since the Obama administration. International representation is essentially nonexistent, and there's no natural wine, no Rhône, no Burgundy worth mentioning.
The by-the-glass program runs 15-20 options at $15–$24 a pour, which sounds reasonable until you do the math and realize most of these are bottles retailing under $40 being poured at prices that imply something far more interesting. Rotation appears nonexistent — this is a static program. If you're here and want a glass, the Belle Glos Pinot Noir is probably your most interesting move, but don't expect anything that'll make you put your fork down.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley — $135
At $65 retail, the markup still stings at 2x, but Jordan is genuinely good wine — structured, food-friendly, and a notch more elegant than the Caymus that costs $60 more here. By Ruth's Chris standards, it's the least offensive bottle on the list.
Belle Glos Pinot Noir
Everyone comes here for Cabernet, so the Belle Glos sits largely ignored. It's a big, fruit-forward Pinot that holds its own against the butter-forward sides on this menu, and it's priced below the heavy hitters on the list. If you're splitting a bottle with someone who doesn't want red meat, this is your move.
Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
At $195 a bottle — more than double retail — Caymus is the most aggressively marked-up wine on the list and also the most requested, which means the kitchen knows exactly what it's doing. It's a fine, crowd-pleasing Cab, but you're paying a hefty premium just to say you ordered Caymus at a steakhouse. Don't do it.
Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon + USDA Prime Ribeye
Silver Oak's Alexander Valley Cab is softer and more approachable than its Napa counterpart — ripe dark fruit, a little vanilla from the American oak, and enough structure to cut through the ribeye's fat without overwhelming it. Still overpriced at $175, but if you're going to spend money here, at least spend it on something that actually fits the plate.
The Bottom Line
Ruth's Chris Irvine serves perfectly fine wine the same way it serves perfectly fine steak — reliably, expensively, and without any particular imagination. If someone else is paying, fine. If you're paying, know that you're covering a lot of overhead with every sip.
· Irvine · Brazilian churrasco (rodizio steakhouse)
The real headline here is the Monday–Thursday deal: half-price South American bottles under $150, available in both the dining room and bar. That's a legitimately good incentive to plan your Fogo visit mid-week. The wine list isn't pushing any boundaries, but at half-price it doesn't need to — grab something from Argentina, let the gaucho do his thing at the table, and call it a win.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
· Irvine · Steakhouse
Fleming's Irvine delivers exactly what it promises: a wide, competent, California-forward wine list that covers all the bases for a steakhouse crowd. The markup is real — this is not a list for value hunters — but the by-the-glass depth is genuinely good and the Loosen Bros. Riesling at $11 is the rare honest deal hiding in plain sight. If you want adventure, look elsewhere; if you want a reliable glass with your ribeye in Irvine, this gets the job done.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Irvine · New American
Benchmark is a genuinely pleasant surprise for Irvine — a short, owner-driven list that punches above its modest size by leaning hard into Paso Robles producers who actually deserve your attention. If you're a Cab-or-nothing drinker, you might feel constrained; if you're willing to follow the owner's enthusiasm toward Law Estate Grenache or a Bodega de Edgar Tempranillo, this list rewards the curious.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Irvine · New American
Reunion Kitchen isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list proves it. Three by-the-glass pours from mass-market California producers, priced at a premium — this is a wine program on autopilot. Order a cocktail or a beer and save the wine for somewhere that actually thought about it.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Corona del Mar · Irvine · New American and Seafood
CdM is genuinely worth your Wednesday. Half-price wine on an already polished dinner menu is a real offer, and the room alone justifies a reservation. We just can't tell you which bottle to order yet — the wine program is opaque enough that you'd be flying blind without a server who actually knows the list. Come for the Dirty Pasta and the vibe; if the wine follows, consider it a bonus.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Irvine Business Complex · Irvine · Northern Italian Steakhouse
Davio's Irvine is the wine list equivalent of a reliable business-class seat — comfortable, well-organized, and priced at a premium you'll notice. The by-the-glass program is the real strength here; thirty options with some genuinely good producers mixed in means you can eat well and drink reasonably well in the same visit. If you're hoping to geek out on the bottle list or find anything that'll make you lean forward in your chair, keep looking — but for a weeknight dinner or a client meal, this gets the job done without embarrassing anyone.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Marina District (Golden Nugget) · Atlantic City · Upscale Steakhouse
Vic & Anthony's is a perfectly competent steakhouse wine list doing exactly what a casino steakhouse wine list is supposed to do — just don't expect fair pricing or anything off the beaten path. Order the Decoy, enjoy your steak, and pocket the difference.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Beachside/Ocean Walk · Daytona Beach · Upscale Steakhouse
Hyde Park Prime Daytona is a dependable, well-run wine program in a room that knows what it wants to be — and mostly delivers. Markups will sting, but the sommelier, the depth, and the oceanfront setting make it the right call when the occasion calls for a serious bottle and a serious steak.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Cool Springs · Franklin · Upscale Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Franklin is a reliable wine execution at a chain price point — nobody's going home unhappy, but nobody's going home with a story either. Go on a Wednesday, hit the half-price bottle promotion, and drink better than the menu's markup would otherwise allow.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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