350 Bottles Deep, California Runs the Show
Downtown · Seattle · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 11, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The Capital Grille’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The list lands with serious heft — 350+ labels inside a room dressed in African mahogany and Art Deco chandeliers, which tells you exactly what kind of evening this is going to be. Capital Grille doesn't pretend to be a discovery restaurant; it's a power dinner machine, and the wine list plays that role to a tee. A sommelier is on the floor, and it shows in how the list is organized and presented.
California dominates from the jump — Rombauer shows up in multiple forms, Orin Swift and Dave Phinney bring some personality to what could otherwise be a predictable lineup of Trophy Cabs, and J Pinot Noir gives you a Willamette-adjacent option without fully committing to the Pacific Northwest. The 350+ label count sounds impressive, but don't mistake size for range — this is a deep California-forward cellar with some supporting players, not a globe-trotting exploration. Jason Born Cabernet Sauvignon from Palmer is a sleeper worth tracking down on the list. Randall Grahm rosé is a pleasant surprise and signals that whoever built this list has at least one foot outside the conventional steak house playbook.
By-the-glass specifics aren't publicly detailed, which is a minor frustration for a list this size — you'd expect a chain with this infrastructure to be more transparent about glass pours online. In-person, the sommelier can walk you through what's open, and the program is polished enough that you're unlikely to get stuck with something bad. That said, if you're here for a serious bottle, commit to a bottle.
J Pinot Noir — null
In a list heavy with California Cabernet at serious price points, J Pinot Noir gives you finesse and drinkability without requiring a corporate expense account. It's the move when the table isn't all-in on a big red.
Randall Grahm Rosé
Most people at a Capital Grille aren't ordering rosé — they're laser-focused on the Cab program. That's their loss. Grahm's rosé is one of California's more thoughtful pours in the category, and it's genuinely out of place here in the best possible way.
Rombauer Vineyards Chardonnay
Rombauer Chard is fine — buttery, crowd-pleasing, instantly recognizable — but at steakhouse markup it becomes an expensive glass of something you could grab at any Costco. The name recognition drives the price more than the wine justifies at this tier.
Jason Born Cabernet Sauvignon + Dry-Aged Steak
A structured Cab with some provenance behind it meets the restaurant's signature dry-aged beef exactly where it needs to be met — dark fruit, grip, and enough weight to hold up to the char and depth of aged beef without either element getting lost.
The Bottom Line
The Capital Grille Seattle is a reliable, well-run wine program inside a polished steakhouse environment — deep on California, staffed by people who know their stuff, and priced for the expense account crowd rather than the value hunter. Send a friend here if they want a confident, zero-surprise wine experience; steer them elsewhere if they're chasing discovery.
Downtown · Seattle · Brazilian Churrascaria
The real headline here is the half-price South American bottles — available Monday through Thursday, all day, on bottles under $150 — which turns a polished steakhouse into a legitimately reasonable wine night. The list won't excite anyone who came for the wine, but if you came for the meat and want a solid regional bottle at a fair price, this deal is worth planning around.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Active Program
Acceptable
Ballard · Seattle · Italian
A short, Italian-leaning list with most of its bottles in the Old World red section. Order the $11 Montepulciano by the glass, or the $69 Travaglini Gattinara if you want to splurge a little, and confirm prices on the day. This unrated guide covers the posted wine menus, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Seattle · Pacific Northwest / New American
A hotel wine list with a Pacific Northwest page up front, Champagne, Bordeaux and Italian sections behind it, and a separate glass list on the drink menu. Start with the $12 Treveri Blanc de Blancs at happy hour or the Mark Ryan 'Goldfinch Tavern Red Blend', and check the current list before you go, since the restaurant says menus are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list and drink menu, not service, storage or markups.
Lake Union · Seattle · Steakhouse
A long, Northwest-first steakhouse list with plenty of bottles under $100 as well as a $300-to-$550 tier of Leonetti and Quilceda Creek Cabernets. Start with the $20 Five Star Cellars “Prime” Cabernet by the glass, or the same wine at $55 on the bottle pages, and confirm prices because the list says vintages and availability change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Capitol Hill · Seattle · Italian
An all-Italian list that is easy to navigate: 11 wines by the glass from $13 to $30, a bottle list sorted by region, and $8 house wine during Apericena. Order the Soave at $13 or the $17 Kerner by the glass, or the Villa Venti Sangiovese with the tagliatelle al ragu, and confirm prices because the page says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Central District · Seattle · Seafood
A mostly natural, mostly French bottle list that stretches from $60 Muscadet to a $455 Champagne, with a deep run of Jura, Savoie and Loire bottles. Start with the $60 Hautplanty Muscadet or the $72 Laurent Herlin Cabernet Franc, and ask about the list’s ◆ and ◉ key if you want help choosing between classic and wild. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks selection, not service, storage or markups.
· Hoschton · Steakhouse
Jacks is a genuinely fun neighborhood hang with solid food, but the wine program doesn't match the ambition of the kitchen. If wine is your thing, call ahead or bring your own if corkage is an option — otherwise, lean into the cocktails and enjoy the patio. We'd love to revisit this rating if they ever put some real thought into the list.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Point · Atlanta · Steakhouse
Malone's earns its loyal following on the strength of its pork chops and tenderloin, not its wine list. If wine matters to your meal, you may want to call ahead and ask what's available — or just lean into a cocktail and let the steak do the heavy lifting. This one's a food-first destination.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Acworth · Steakhouse
AG Steakhouse earns its reputation as a go-to for celebrations and big nights out on Lake Acworth — but the wine program appears to be in service of the experience rather than a destination in itself. If you're splurging on the filet or the Oscar-style halibut, budget accordingly for the bottle too, and don't expect the list to surprise you. A solid place to drink wine; not a reason to come specifically for wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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