Scene-first, but the cellar delivers
New York · Japanese, Thai
Updated June 2026
Reviewed April 19, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Tao Downtown’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Tao Downtown, you're not thinking about wine — you're thinking about the 20-foot Buddha and whoever just walked past you on the way to the VIP section. But flip open the list and it's more serious than the room suggests, with a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence (since 2024) that signals someone back there actually cares.
The list runs 150-250 bottles and leans hard into California and France — Opus One, Caymus, Jordan, Kistler, Far Niente on the Cali side; Louis Jadot and a smattering of Burgundy anchoring the French column; Moët and Veuve holding down Champagne for the inevitable bottle-service crowd. It's not a deep-digger list — you won't find esoteric Jura or skin-contact anything — but it's well-curated for what this room is doing. Gaps show up in Italy, Spain, and anything south of the equator, but the core California-France spine is genuinely solid. Think big-room blockbusters done right, not a lazy hotel list.
Somewhere in the 12-20 glass range, which is respectable for a venue this size and this loud. The pour program skews toward approachable crowd-pleasers rather than anything adventurous, which tracks with the clientele. Rotation isn't aggressive, but Wednesday's half-price wine night is a legitimate reason to show up mid-week.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $40-$120 range
Jordan is one of those bottles that consistently punches above its price point — structured, food-friendly, and recognizable enough that the table won't argue. In a room where bottles spiral fast, this is where you land with a group.
Louis Jadot Burgundy
Most people at Tao are grabbing Caymus or popping Champagne for the 'gram. Slip past those and the Jadot Burgundy sits quietly on the list — classic Côte de Beaune structure that holds up beautifully against the kitchen's umami-forward dishes and doesn't demand a second mortgage.
Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
At $2,500 a bottle in a nightclub-adjacent dining room with 'Willing but Green' staff and no dedicated sommelier, you are not getting the full Screaming Eagle experience. This is a wine that deserves a quiet cellar and proper stemware, not a table next to a DJ booth. Hard pass.
Kistler Chardonnay + Shrimp Tempura
Kistler's rich, textured California Chardonnay has the weight to stand up to the fry without obliterating the delicate shrimp underneath. The subtle oak and citrus backbone cut through the batter in a way that a lighter white simply can't in this context.
Wednesday — Half-price wine night every Wednesday — the single best reason to drink well here without the weekend markup.
The Bottom Line
Tao Downtown is not a wine destination — it's a scene destination with a better-than-expected wine list tucked inside it. Come for the Wednesday half-price bottles, order the Jordan or Jadot, and leave the Screaming Eagle for a room that can do it justice.
Midtown · New York · French Brasserie
La Grande Boucherie earns its place as a reliable stop for wine in Midtown, especially if you're leaning French. The glass list is genuinely wide and has some smart picks buried in it — the Fleurie and the Wiemer Riesling both punch above their price points. Markups trend steep as you climb the bottle list, so your money works hardest in the by-the-glass section. If you're here for the brasserie experience, the wine program holds up its end of the deal.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Steakhouse
BLT Prime's wine program is glass-only, which limits your options if you came for a big bottle moment, but the pricing is honest and the selection is more thoughtful than most steakhouses bother with. If you're keeping it casual and ordering by the glass, you can drink well here without feeling taken advantage of — and that's not nothing in this city.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
The Palm Midtown is not where you'd expect to find Puzelat and Ruth Lewandowski sitting next to each other on a wine list — which is exactly what makes it worth a second look. Six bottles is a short menu, but all six are defensible picks at prices that don't insult you. If you're in the mood to trust the list and not overthink it, this works.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Murray Hill · New York · Classic American Steakhouse
Wolfgang's is a reliable steakhouse wine experience in the sense that you know exactly what you're getting: a list built around the bottle you already know, priced for the room you're sitting in. If you're here to close a deal over a Porterhouse for Two, the wine list will do its job without embarrassing anyone — but it's not going to surprise you, and it's almost certainly going to cost more than it should. Go in with eyes open and a strong second-choice red in mind.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Mediterranean
Zaytinya's wine list is a rare thing in New York: a focused, regionally coherent program that commits hard to Greek and Eastern Mediterranean varieties without making you feel like you need a flashcard to order. The by-the-glass selection alone — 18 options, all under $18, featuring producers most wine lists wouldn't touch — makes this worth visiting even before the food arrives. If you eat here and order a Cabernet, that's on you.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
SoHo · New York · Italian
A long bottle list with Italian, Burgundy and Champagne sections, fronted by a 22-wine glass page. For a glass, try the Skerk Orange Wine from Friuli at 25/95, and for a bottle on a lighter budget, the Volpaia Vermentino at 60; upstairs in the café, the labeled list pours Palistorti di Valgiano's orange Tuscan blend at Glass $22. Confirm prices before you order, because the site's Upstairs Café dinner menu and the beverage PDF do not match. This unrated guide covers the posted wine lists, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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