Safe Steakhouse Pours That Get the Job Done
· Rochester · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed September 8, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Ruth's Chris Steak House – Rochester’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Ruth's Chris Rochester is exactly what you'd expect from a national steakhouse chain: polished, predictable, and priced for expense accounts. Twenty-nine options, all by the glass, which sounds generous until you realize most of the bottles top out around $99 and you're essentially paying restaurant markup on wines you could find at a well-stocked Total Wine. There's nothing offensive here, but nothing to get excited about either.
The list covers the obvious bases — California Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, a Malbec, a Merlot, a couple Pinot Grigios — with a few names that suggest someone did minimal homework: Stag's Leap Karia, Belle Glos Las Alturas, and Catena Zapata Vista Flores all show up and are genuinely good wines. The Alsace Trimbach Pinot Blanc is the only real curveball on an otherwise coast-to-coast American-focused list, and it sticks out in the best way. Gaps are obvious: no Cabernet Sauvignon, which is almost comically absent for a steakhouse of this stature, no Italian reds, no Rhône, and the sparkling section leans heavily on Prosecco and Moscato rather than anything with real fizz credentials. This list was built to please, not to challenge.
The entire 29-bottle list is available by the glass, which is a genuinely customer-friendly setup — you're not locked into a bottle if you want to try a few things. Glass pours range from $11 to $28, though the research data only shows bottle prices, so the per-glass math isn't fully transparent. Rotation appears non-existent; this reads as a static corporate list that changes on a seasonal or annual schedule at best.
Drumheller Chardonnay Columbia Valley — $52
At the low end of the Chardonnay options and sourced from Columbia Valley, Drumheller punches above its price point here. It's an honest, food-friendly white that doesn't try to out-oak itself, and $52 is reasonable by Ruth's Chris standards.
Trimbach Pinot Blanc Alsace
Everyone at the table is ordering Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio, and almost no one will notice the Trimbach Pinot Blanc sitting quietly at $60. Trimbach is one of Alsace's most respected producers, and Pinot Blanc is criminally underrated as a steak companion — bright acidity, dry, textured, and completely capable of cutting through a butter-sauced ribeye.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio Alto Adige
At $76 a bottle, Santa Margherita is doing its best impression of a prestige pour, but this is a wine you can find at most grocery stores for under $25. The markup here is aggressive even by steakhouse standards, and there's nothing in the glass that justifies the price when the Benvolio Pinot Grigio is sitting right there at $48.
Belle Glos Las Alturas Pinot Noir + Filet Mignon
Belle Glos Las Alturas is a big, dark-fruited Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot with enough structure to stand up to a filet without bulldozing it. It's the kind of wine that makes a lean, tender cut taste like a full event — and at $88 a bottle, it's one of the few places on this list where the quality actually justifies reaching for the card.
The Bottom Line
Ruth's Chris Rochester is a reliable if uninspired choice for wine with your steak — the Trimbach and Belle Glos are worth seeking out, but the pricing is corporate-tier steep and the list doesn't reward curiosity. Order the wine you know, enjoy the steak, and don't expect any surprises.
Downtown · Rochester · Italian/American Wine Bar
Salute is a perfectly reasonable place to have a glass of wine after a stressful day at Mayo — and in Rochester, that counts for a lot. The list doesn't push boundaries and the pricing skews toward hotel-bar territory, but the room is comfortable and the staff is friendly enough. If you're looking for a wine revelation, keep looking; if you just need a decent pour and a plate of meatballs, you've found your spot.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Rochester · Winery Tasting Room
Salem Glen is the Wild Card because almost nobody expects to find a legit wine experience in a barn outside Rochester — and yet here we are. If you're open to cold-climate grapes and a laid-back afternoon, it earns the trip.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
· Rochester · New American
Bleu Duck Kitchen isn't a wine destination, but it's doing more with its list than most restaurants in its zip code — and that Tuesday dinner-plus-bottle deal is legitimately one of the better mid-week moves in Rochester. Send a friend here if they want a real meal with real wine without a bill that requires a deep breath.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· Rochester · Latin/Global Small Plates
Our Paladar's wine list is a small, well-edited card that takes its cues from the food and doesn't overstay its welcome. For Rochester, this is legitimately exciting — come for the small plates, stay because the Nebbiolo is actually on the menu.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Rochester · Brewpub/New American
Forager Brewery has no business having a wine list this interesting, and that's meant as a compliment. It's not deep enough to be a wine destination, but for Rochester, it's a legitimate wild card worth knowing about.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Rochester · Italian and wine bar
Sorellina's is doing something genuinely interesting for Rochester — a by-the-glass-forward Italian list with actual producers worth caring about at prices that won't make you wince. Send your wine-curious friends here and let them graze.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Steakhouse
BLT Prime's wine program is glass-only, which limits your options if you came for a big bottle moment, but the pricing is honest and the selection is more thoughtful than most steakhouses bother with. If you're keeping it casual and ordering by the glass, you can drink well here without feeling taken advantage of — and that's not nothing in this city.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Raleigh · Steakhouse
Perry's Raleigh is a competent steakhouse wine list — nothing more, nothing less. The near-universal by-the-glass access is a genuine win, and the Perrin Côtes du Rhône and Kesseler Riesling give you something worth drinking if you look past the front-of-list crowd pleasers. Just don't come here expecting discovery; come here expecting reliability.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Grapevine · Steakhouse
Perry's wine list is exactly what you'd expect from a polished Texas steakhouse chain — familiar names, broad by-the-glass coverage, and markups that remind you where you are. It's not a destination for wine, but the 41-glass-pour lineup means you won't go thirsty, and the Perrin Côtes du Rhône or Marques de Caceres Rosé will get you through dinner without overpaying. Send a friend here for the pork chop; tell them to pick carefully from the wine list.
Crowd Pleasers
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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