The Napa Hits Keep Coming, Reliably
North Knoxville / Fountain City · Knoxville · Steakhouse / American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 15, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Chop House - North Knoxville’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at The Chop House North Knoxville reads exactly like you'd expect from a polished suburban steakhouse — big California names, safe bets, nothing that's going to surprise you. It's competent and well-suited to the room, which is full of people celebrating birthdays and anniversaries with a bone-in ribeye and a bottle of Cab. You know what you're getting before you even open it.
The list leans hard into Napa and Sonoma, with Columbia Valley making a token appearance. You'll find recognizable labels like Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Jordan, and Rombauer — all solid producers, none of them cutting edge. The 50-80 bottle range sounds decent on paper, but don't expect any exploration beyond the American West Coast; if you're hunting for Burgundy, Barolo, or anything that requires an explanation, you're in the wrong place. It's a list built for consensus, not curiosity.
With 12-18 by-the-glass options, there's enough range to find something workable whether you're drinking red, white, or somewhere in between. Meiomi Pinot Noir almost certainly anchors the lighter red side of the glass pour menu, which tells you something about the audience this list is built for. Rotation appears minimal — what's on tonight is probably what was on last month.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — null
Jordan consistently punches above its mainstream reputation — it's a genuinely well-made Alexander Valley Cab with enough structure to handle a heavy steakhouse pour. At a steakhouse markup it's still steep, but it's the bottle where you're most likely to feel like you got something real for your money.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
Most people at this restaurant are ordering the Jordan or defaulting to whatever the server recommends. Stag's Leap brings Napa pedigree with a bit more restraint and elegance than the bolder styles that dominate steakhouse lists — worth the upgrade if you want something with actual complexity next to a hand-cut steak.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
Meiomi is a grocery store wine priced like a restaurant wine. It's sweet, simple, and blended for mass appeal — fine if that's your thing, but you can buy it for $15 at the supermarket and it doesn't get more interesting with a steakhouse markup on it.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon + Hand-cut ribeye
Jordan's cassis-forward fruit and firm but not aggressive tannins are exactly what a well-marbled ribeye needs — the fat softens the wine, the wine cuts through the fat. It's a classic pairing for a reason, and this is the right place to lean into it.
The Bottom Line
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.
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
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
Knoxville · Knoxville · Italian
Osteria Stella is doing something genuinely uncommon for Knoxville — building an Italian wine list that commands respect on its own merits, not just by local standards. The markups lean steep on the prestige bottles, but the depth of curation and the sommelier presence make this worth a visit for anyone who takes Italian wine seriously.
Old World Focus
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / Spalding Hall · Bardstown · Steakhouse / American
The Rickhouse is a perfectly competent steakhouse wine list doing exactly what a steakhouse wine list in bourbon country is supposed to do — familiar names, heavy pours, and enough bottles to keep the table happy. Just go in knowing you're paying for the atmosphere and the ambiance of that historic cellar as much as what's in the glass.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Durango · Steakhouse / American
Ore House delivers a competent, Napa-centric wine list that matches the room and the menu without much ambition beyond that — the markups sting on the trophy bottles, but there are a few smart finds if you know where to look. Send a friend here for steak and the Eroica Riesling; tell them to skip the Silver Oak.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Atherton · State College · Steakhouse / American
Texas Roadhouse is not a wine destination and makes no pretense of being one — the food is the point, and the wine list is a legal obligation. Order a beer, enjoy the rolls, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that earned it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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