Michigan's Best Kept Steakhouse Wine Secret
Downtown Front Street · Traverse City · Steakhouse with Seafood and Contemporary American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 25, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Slate’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walking into Slate, the wine list feels like it was built for the room — polished, approachable, and leaning hard into the California classics that steakhouse crowds reach for first. It's not trying to be a wine bar, and it doesn't pretend to be. What surprises you is the quiet nod to Michigan producers tucked in among the Napa heavyweights.
The list runs somewhere between 80 and 120 labels, with California doing the heavy lifting — Silver Oak, Duckhorn, Sonoma-Cutrer are all present and accounted for, catering squarely to the prime steak crowd. Oregon and Washington get a seat at the table too, and Burgundy makes a respectable if brief appearance for those who want to go old world with their ribeye. The real standout is the inclusion of L. Mawby, a local Leelanau Peninsula sparkling producer that most visitors would never think to order — and most locals already know to love. Gaps exist: the Southern Hemisphere is largely absent, and anything outside the safe steakhouse playbook is hard to find.
Twelve options by the glass is a solid pour count for a restaurant of this size, with prices running $14–$22 — which is fair for the market but starts feeling steep when you recognize the bottles behind them. Whispering Angel makes an expected appearance for the rosé crowd, and Sonoma-Cutrer holds down the Chardonnay slot reliably. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority; the BTG list feels like it was set once and revisited infrequently.
L. Mawby Blanc de Blancs — $48
Michigan sparkling at a bottle price that undercuts almost everything else on the list, from a producer who's been making serious bubbles in Leelanau for decades. Order this before you order anything Californian and you'll drink better for less.
L. Mawby Blanc de Blancs
Most tables at Slate are locked in on Napa Cab mode, which means this local sparkling sits largely untouched. That's a mistake. L. Mawby is the real deal — a Michigan institution — and drinking it here, in Traverse City, is the kind of moment that actually makes sense.
Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon
Silver Oak is a perfectly fine wine that has been marked up to 'you could buy two bottles at retail' territory at nearly every steakhouse in America, and Slate is no exception. The name recognition is doing a lot of work here that the price doesn't justify.
Duckhorn Merlot + Prime Steak
Duckhorn's Merlot has enough structure and dark fruit to stand up to a well-marbled cut without the tannin aggression of a big Cab. It's the move when you want something plush that doesn't fight your food.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Slate is a dependable steakhouse wine list that plays to its crowd — nothing wrong with that, but adventurous drinkers should zero in on the L. Mawby and call it a night. Send a friend here for a solid meal and a glass of something local; just don't expect the list to challenge them.
Downtown Front Street · Traverse City · Brewpub / American Bar & Grill
Mackinaw Brewing is a great place to drink beer in downtown Traverse City, and nobody should walk in expecting otherwise. If wine is your thing, order the local Riesling, appreciate the nod to Michigan wine country, and let the rest of the list do its quiet, unremarkable job.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Slabtown / West Front Street · Traverse City · American tavern fare with waterfront grill classics
West End Tavern isn't a wine destination, but it's doing something right by leaning into what grows in its own backyard. If you're in Traverse City and want local wine without ceremony, pull up a patio chair and order the Riesling.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
US-31 South / East Side · Traverse City · Mexican
Agave is a solid casual cantina — the margaritas are the move and everyone at the table knows it. The wine list is an afterthought, and there's no shame in treating it like one.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Front Street · Traverse City · Seafood/Raw Bar
Umbo is quietly one of the more interesting wine programs in northern Michigan, built with a clear point of view around Old World acid and seafood compatibility. The pricing is a stretch and the list could use more depth, but if you're eating oysters in Traverse City, this is where you want to be drinking.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Front Street · Traverse City · Steakhouse / Contemporary American
The Pretty Penny is a dependable date-night wine list in a beautiful lakeside town — not adventurous, not cheap, but competent enough to make your steak night work. If you're a wine explorer looking for discovery, you might leave a little flat; if you just want a solid Cabernet with a great meal on Front Street, you're in good hands.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Union Street · Traverse City · Gastropub
7 Monks is a beer bar first and a wine program somewhere around fourth, but the short list is priced fairly, includes a local Michigan pour worth ordering, and doesn't try to be something it's not. Send a wine-drinking friend here if they're cool with keeping it simple.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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