Ruth's Chris Steak House - Virginia Beach
Big list, chain DNA, steakhouse classics done right
Virginia Beach · Norfolk · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 27, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Three hundred plus bottles on a steakhouse wine list sounds impressive until you realize about half of it is California Cab in varying price tiers. The list is polished in presentation — this is Ruth's Chris, they know how to dress a table — but flipping through it feels more like navigating a well-organized corporate spreadsheet than discovering something exciting.
Selection Deep Dive
California dominates, as expected, with plenty of Napa Cabernet anchoring the red side and a solid run of Chardonnay options. They've made a decent effort at international range — there's French Bordeaux (the Château Graves de Rabion St.-Emilion shows up), Italian bubbles, and some Oregon Pinot Noir representation via Belle Glos. New Zealand, Argentina, and Spain make cameo appearances, which at least breaks the monotony. But if you're hunting for anything off the beaten path — a Côtes du Rhône, a Grüner, a skin-contact anything — you're going to leave disappointed.
By the Glass
Eighteen by-the-glass options is a solid number for a steakhouse, and the spread covers the expected bases: bubbles, white, red, rosé. La Marca Prosecco and Chandon Brut give you two sparkling entry points, and Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay is a reliable glass pour at this price tier. The rotation doesn't appear to move much — this is a set-it-and-forget-it program, not a place trying to showcase something new each week.
Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto d'Acqui — $15
At $15 a glass for a wine that retails around $20 a bottle, this is legitimately the least punishing markup on the list. It's a sweet, low-alcohol red sparkler — not for everyone, but if you're finishing with the New Orleans-style Bread Pudding, it's actually the right call and the math works in your favor.
Château Graves de Rabion St.-Emilion
In a list this California-heavy, a Right Bank Bordeaux tends to get ignored by the table ordering the third round of Opus One. St.-Emilion at a steakhouse is a legitimately good move — Merlot-dominant, earthy, and built for red meat without the oak wallop of most Napa picks on this list.
Oak Vineyards Chardonnay
A $12 retail bottle priced at $23 is a 92% markup, which is aggressive even by steakhouse standards. This is the kind of house-pour-adjacent white that ends up on lists because the margin is great for the restaurant, not because it's great for you. Pass.
Belle Glos Pinot Noir + Filet
The filet is lean and butter-finished, and a big Cab can bulldoze it. Belle Glos Clark & Telephone is richer than most Pinot but still plays nicely with the tenderness of the cut — fruit-forward enough to stand up to the sizzling butter situation Ruth's Chris is famous for without overwhelming the beef itself.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Ruth's Chris Virginia Beach won't surprise you on wine, and a few markups are hard to forgive, but the depth is real and the by-the-glass program is better than most steakhouses at this price point. If you're here for a special occasion steak and want a bottle that won't embarrass the meal, you'll find it — just avoid the house pours and do a little homework first.
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