Forty-Seven Pages of Serious Steak Wine
Coronado · Chula Vista · Modern steakhouse / chophouse · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 26, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Stake Chophouse & Bar’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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.
Chula Vista · Chula Vista · Hotel Lounge
The Den is a hotel bar doing the bare minimum on wine, and it shows. Order a cocktail, grab a beer, or pick up a bottle from the grocery store down the street before you check in.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chula Vista · Steakhouse Chain
The prices are fair but there's almost nothing to choose from — four labels is not a wine program, it's a placeholder. If wine matters to your dinner, this isn't your spot.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chula Vista · Steakhouse
Skip the wine list and order a cocktail or a beer — the wine program here is an afterthought dressed up in a long menu. If someone insists on a bottle, reach for the Rodney Strong and don't look too hard at the markup.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chula Vista · Italian Chain
Romano's Macaroni Grill isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes no attempt to pretend otherwise. Order a $4 house red, enjoy the pasta, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that earned it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Jolla / Torrey Pines · Chula Vista · Regional California Cuisine / American Fine Dining
A.R. Valentien is doing something rare for a hotel restaurant: it's built a wine program that would stand on its own even without the Pacific Ocean views. Send your people here — just book ahead and don't skip the wine list.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
La Jolla · Chula Vista · Italian
Marisi is a reliable Italian wine list with genuine ambition hiding behind a steep markup structure — the producers are right, the regions are right, but you'll pay for the privilege. Go for the Produttori Barbaresco and the Pre-Phylloxera Barbera, and you'll leave satisfied.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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
