Forty-Seven Pages of Serious Steak Wine
Coronado · Chula Vista · Modern steakhouse / chophouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 26, 2026
Wingman Metrics
When the wine list arrives as a 47-page document with over 1,700 selections, you know you're not at a restaurant that treats wine as an afterthought. This is a Wine Spectator award-winning program built for people who want to spend real time with the list before the bread hits the table. Coronado doesn't have a ton of serious wine destinations — Stake is the exception.
The backbone here is California Cabernet, and it runs deep — Silver Oak appears in multiple bottlings and has earned its own dedicated pairing dinner format, which tells you exactly how seriously the kitchen and cellar are aligned. ZD Wines gets similar treatment. Beyond the California focus, there's genuine weight in Burgundy and Bordeaux, plus broad coverage across France and Italy that goes well past the usual steakhouse suspects of Barolo and a token white Burgundy. If you came for old-world depth, you won't leave empty-handed. The gaps, if any, would likely be in emerging regions and natural wine — this list reads as a serious traditionalist, not an adventurist.
With an estimated 20–35 by-the-glass options, there's enough range to build a full meal without committing to a bottle — which, at these price points, matters. Expect the pours to skew California-heavy, reflecting the cellar's core identity. Rotation appears tied to the wine dinner program and seasonal updates rather than a static pour-forever list.
ZD Wines Cabernet Sauvignon — null
ZD is a Napa stalwart that still flies under the radar compared to the flashier cult names. It's featured prominently enough in the wine dinner program here to signal the kitchen respects it — which usually means it's not being marked up purely on trophy status. If you want a serious California Cab without chasing a label, this is your move.
French regional selections beyond Burgundy and Bordeaux
The research flags broad French coverage that extends past the marquee appellations. In a list this size, that middle tier of France — Rhône, Loire, Alsace, southern appellations — is where the real value often hides from guests fixated on Napa or grand cru. Worth asking the sommelier to point you there.
Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Silver Oak is everywhere — every fine dining steakhouse in America stocks it, which means the market knows exactly what it's worth and restaurants price accordingly. It's a reliable wine, but at a $$$$ steakhouse with 1,700 other options, defaulting to Silver Oak is leaving the cellar unexplored and your wallet lighter than it needs to be.
ZD Wines Cabernet Sauvignon + Dry-aged steak
ZD's Cab has the structure and dark fruit weight to match the intensity of a properly dry-aged cut without one overwhelming the other. The wine's restraint compared to flashier Napa names keeps it from turning the pairing into a competition — both the beef and the bottle get to show up.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Stake is the real deal — a 1,700-bottle list with genuine sommelier guidance and a kitchen that integrates wine into the experience rather than just selling it alongside. The pricing is steep, because this is Coronado and this is a serious steakhouse, but if you're already ordering a $75 Wagyu, the cellar absolutely earns its place at the table.
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Deep & Eclectic
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Varietal Specific
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Solid Range
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Acceptable
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Solid Range
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Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
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Set & Forget
Proper
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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