Safe Bets and Steaks Done Right
West Knoxville · Knoxville · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 11, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Chop House’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at The Chop House is exactly what you'd expect from a mid-tier steakhouse chain in West Knoxville — familiar names, nothing to scare anyone, and a price tag that quietly reminds you this is still a business. It's not a list that makes you lean in, but it won't embarrass you on a date night either.
Eighteen wines is a tight roster, and almost every slot goes to a crowd-pleasing household name: Rombauer Chardonnay, Kendall-Jackson, Sonoma-Cutrer, La Marca Prosecco, Dom Pérignon. The California and Champagne bias is heavy — there's virtually no red outside of Salmon Creek and 14 Hands, which are grocery-aisle bottles dressed up in steakhouse lighting. Italy shows up with Piccino Pinot Grigio and La Marca, but that's the extent of the Old World adventure. If you came for discovery, you're eating at the wrong place.
Glass pours run $8–$11, which is reasonable for Knoxville, though the exact by-the-glass lineup isn't fully published. What's clear is that the split-bottle program ($12–$46) is the smarter play here — it gives you a better pour without committing to a full bottle of something you may not love. Don't expect weekly rotation; this list has the feel of something that changes once a year, if that.
Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay, Russian River Valley — Not published
Russian River Chardonnay from Sonoma-Cutrer is genuinely solid — restrained, with better acidity than Rombauer — and it tends to be priced more fairly on restaurant lists. In a lineup dominated by Napa excess, this is the most honest pour on the white side of the menu.
Emmolo by Wagner Family Sauvignon Blanc, California
Most people at a steakhouse reach for Chardonnay or Cab and ignore this one entirely. Emmolo is a Wagner Family side project (same family as Caymus) and the Sauvignon Blanc has a crispness that cuts through a butter-finished filet better than anything else on this list. It's routinely overlooked.
Dom Perignon Brut, Champagne, France
At $300 on the list, Dom is available here for roughly triple what you'd pay at a good retailer. It's a celebration bottle, sure, but if you're going to drop that kind of money at a chain steakhouse in a strip mall, we'd gently suggest springing for a different occasion.
Rombauer Chardonnay, Napa Valley + Filet Mignon
Counterintuitive? Maybe. But Rombauer's butter-bomb California Chardonnay mirrors the richness of a filet without fighting it — the oak and vanilla notes lean into the char, and the weight of the wine matches the weight of the cut. It's not the most sophisticated call, but it works.
✔️ The Bottom Line
The Chop House wine list does its job — keeps the table happy, doesn't embarrass itself, and checks the boxes a steakhouse crowd needs checked. Just don't come here expecting to find anything you haven't already seen at your local grocery store.
West Knoxville / Turkey Creek · Knoxville · Steakhouse & American Grill
Firebirds is a reliable wine stop for a chain steakhouse — the list is familiar and priced a touch high, but the selections are legitimate and the glass program is better than most competitors. Send a friend here if they want a dependable Napa Cab with a steak; don't send them if they're looking for anything off the beaten path.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Knoxville · Bistro / Wine Bar
CRU is the kind of wine bar that earns its regulars — a big-enough list, fair enough prices, and a Sunday deal that's worth planning your week around. It won't blow the minds of serious collectors, but for a downtown Knoxville wine night, it does exactly what it promises.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Turkey Creek · Knoxville · Bistro / Wine Bar
CRU Turkey Creek is the best wine option in a neighborhood that wasn't exactly drowning in them. It's not going to challenge your assumptions about wine, but it will reliably pour you something decent in a comfortable room — and that's worth something.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
North Knoxville / Fountain City · Knoxville · Steakhouse / American
The Chop House North Knoxville is a dependable, if unadventurous, wine stop — the list serves the steakhouse mission well without ever getting interesting. If you're in the neighborhood and want a solid Cab with a good steak, you won't go home unhappy, just don't come looking for discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Knoxville / Cedar Bluff · Knoxville · Steakhouse / American
The Chop House West Knoxville is a dependable wine stop for steakhouse night — nothing adventurous, nothing offensive, and the California red lineup covers the bases. Just don't expect a deal on the markup, and skip the Meiomi.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Knoxville · Pan-Latin with Asian Influence
Vida isn't trying to be a wine bar, but its Latin-focused list is more thoughtful and specific than most dedicated wine programs in Knoxville. If you're eating here, skip the safe call and lean into something you've never tried — that's the whole point.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
West Side · Bloomington · Steakhouse
Outback Bloomington's wine list is functional in the same way a vending machine is functional — it technically delivers what you asked for, but nobody's proud of it. Stick to the Ste. Michelle Cab with your steak and don't spend more than you have to.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Yuma Palms / East Yuma · Yuma · Steakhouse
J.T. Prime isn't trying to reinvent the steakhouse wine list — it's giving Yuma exactly what Yuma wants with a steak in front of it. Send a friend here if they want a reliable Cab with their ribeye; don't send them if they're hunting for something they haven't seen before.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mesquite · St. George · Steakhouse
Katherine's is a reliable casino steakhouse wine list — it won't let you down if you stick to the California anchors, but it won't excite you either. Send a friend here for the prime rib and the Rodney Strong; just don't go expecting discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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