Meat-Centric Mayhem With a Serious Cellar
Washington · American · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed St. Anselm’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into St. Anselm, you expect the wine list to be an afterthought — a converted garage in NoMa, butcher blocks everywhere, smoke in the air. Then you open the list and realize these people are dead serious: 250-plus bottles anchored by California, Italy, France, and a Madeira section that most fine dining rooms would envy. Wine Spectator has handed them a Best of Award of Excellence since 2022, and it's not a participation trophy.
The California arm is the backbone — Kistler Chardonnay, Talley Pinot Noir, Ridge Zinfandel, Shafer Cab — all the big names are here and they're chosen with intent, not just to fill prestige slots. Italy punches hard with Barolo royalty like Giacomo Conterno and Bruno Giacosa sitting alongside more adventurous pours like Scholium Project's The Prince in His Caves at $110, which tells you the buyers have range and aren't afraid to go weird. France covers Burgundy (Dujac, Faiveley), Bordeaux Cru Classé, and Rhône with Guigal, while the Madeira section — Blandy's and Henriques & Henriques both on the list — is a genuine differentiator in a city where Madeira is largely ignored. Gaps are few; this is a list built by people who drink wine, not just manage it.
Twenty to thirty pours by the glass is generous for a steakhouse, running $12–$20 a pop, and the Monday half-price wine night means the whole list drops to genuinely accessible territory. Blandy's 10 Year Madeira at $16 a glass is an absolute no-brainer alongside anything off the butcher block. The glass program rotates enough to reward repeat visits.
Kermit Lynch Côtes du Rhône 2022 — $55
At $55 a bottle, this is the table wine you actually want to drink all night — Southern Rhône fruit, no pretense, and it goes with everything on the menu from bone marrow to bavette. It's the kind of bottle that makes a $100 dinner feel like a steal.
Blandy's 10 Year Madeira
Most tables skip right past it, but a glass of Blandy's 10 Year alongside the dry-aged ribeye is one of the better beef-and-wine moments you'll find in DC. Nutty, oxidative, totally unexpected — and at $16 a glass it's the most interesting pour on the list by a wide margin.
Gaja Barbaresco 2019
At $225 it's Gaja, so nobody's getting robbed, but this is a bottle that needs a decade in your cellar, not a loud steakhouse on a Saturday night. The money is better spent elsewhere on a list this good.
Ridge Lytton Springs 2020 + Dry-aged ribeye
Lytton Springs is a Zinfandel-dominant blend with the kind of dark fruit, pepper, and structure that doesn't flinch at a hard sear. The dry-aged ribeye brings the fat and char that gives the wine something to push against — it's a California steakhouse pairing done right, at a restaurant that technically isn't one.
Monday — Half-price bottles off the full wine list every Monday
The Bottom Line
St. Anselm is the rare place where the wine list earns as much attention as the beef, and the Monday half-price night makes it one of the best wine deals in Washington. Send your friends here — just tell them to skip the obvious bottles and let Jonathan or Eli point the way.
Washington · Washington · Seafood
Oceanaire is a safe, well-executed wine destination for California Chardonnay lovers who want reliable bottles with their seafood without too many surprises. Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence since 2017 is well-earned for what it is — just know this list was built for comfort, not adventure.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
Georgetown · Washington · French
Lutèce is a strong place to explore French wine with a firm budget in mind. The posted list runs from a $64 Southern Rhône red to $600 Champagne, so tell Chris Ray what you want to spend and let that guide the conversation. Confirm prices and availability when you book or arrive.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Washington, DC · Washington · Steakhouse
STK DC is a vibe restaurant that treats wine as an accessory, not a feature. If you're here for the scene, the cocktails will serve you better than the list ever will.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Washington · Middle Eastern / North African
Maydan's wine list is one of the most geographically coherent and genuinely adventurous in Washington, DC — it matches the kitchen's ambition and then some. If you're willing to let go of the familiar, this is one of the best by-the-glass programs in the city for opening your eyes to what the wine world looks like beyond Europe.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Washington · Restaurant
Moon Rabbit's wine list is doing something rare: it's short enough to read in two minutes and interesting enough to talk about for twenty. If you care about well-chosen, adventurous bottles at prices that won't wreck your dinner bill, send your people here.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Washington · Washington · Spanish
Xiquet is doing something genuinely rare in D.C. — a tightly edited, Spain-first wine program inside a room that actually earns it. Four sommeliers and a Wood Spectator Award of Excellence since 2023 confirm this isn't an accident; just know you're paying for the setting as much as the bottle.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Baltimore · American
Give the international and local sections a look before defaulting to Burgundy. Sula at $70 and Old Westminster at $90 offer different budget options. These are posted bottle prices, not guaranteed stock; confirm availability. This menu guide doesn't rate service or cellar conditions.
· Key West · American
Caroline's Café is not a wine destination, and it's not trying to be — the identical pricing across all five house labels makes that abundantly clear. If you're in Key West looking for something interesting in your glass, keep walking; if you just need a cold pour of Chardonnay with your lunch and aren't asking questions, $8 gets you there without drama.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kerns · Portland · American
Noble Rot is the rare restaurant wine program that would hold up as a standalone wine bar — deep list, sharp staff, fair prices, and a view that makes the whole experience feel earned. Send your friends here. Send yourself here.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
