Solid steakhouse list, one eyebrow-raising markup
Downtown · Winston Salem · Upscale American Steak and Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 25, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Downtown Grille’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The Downtown Grille looks the part — polished room, white tablecloths, the kind of place where you expect a serious wine list to match the $45 ribeye. What you actually get is a respectable but predictable selection that leans hard into crowd-pleasing California names and doesn't stray far from the mainstream. It's fine. It's just not adventurous.
The list skews American with a California center of gravity — Silver Oak showing up as a featured bottle at curated dinners tells you exactly where the restaurant's head is at. There's a nod to Argentina via Zuccardi Malbec, and the occasional wine dinner spotlights North Carolina's own Biltmore, which is a nice local touch even if Biltmore rarely makes wine enthusiasts lose their minds. Expect recognizable labels that sell themselves, not a list designed to make you discover something new. The regional gaps are real — no meaningful European depth is apparent, and if you came hoping for Burgundy or Barolo, lower your expectations now.
Glass pours start at $10 during promotional pricing, which gives you an accessible entry point in an otherwise upscale setting. The full by-the-glass program details aren't published prominently, which usually means the rotation is modest and the list doesn't change much. What's there gets the job done for a steakhouse night out, but don't expect anything that'll make you put down your phone and pay attention.
Zuccardi Malbec — Unknown — confirm on-site
Zuccardi is one of Argentina's most respected Malbec producers, making wine in Mendoza's Valle de Uco at altitude. If this is priced reasonably, it's the most food-serious bottle on a list otherwise full of safe choices — and it'll hold its own against any red meat on the menu.
Biltmore Estate Wine
Most people order this as a novelty and promptly forget about it, but featuring a North Carolina wine at a wine dinner shows the kitchen takes it seriously. Biltmore's reds have improved considerably in recent years — if they're pouring one of the estate's Cabernet-based bottles, it's worth a try for the story and the surprise.
Provençal Dry Rosé
A 167% markup on a $15 retail rosé — landing at $40 on the menu — is aggressive for a wine that doesn't require a special occasion or a cellar. There are plenty of rosés at this price point in any wine shop, and you're not getting anything rare or allocations-only here. Order something else.
Zuccardi Malbec + Prime Steak
High-altitude Malbec brings dark fruit, firm tannins, and enough acidity to cut through the fat on a prime cut. Zuccardi in particular runs more structured and serious than your average Malbec — it's built for red meat and earns its place next to whatever the kitchen is putting on the grill.
The Bottom Line
The Downtown Grille is a reliable upscale night out in Winston-Salem with a wine list that matches the room — safe, polished, and built for people who already know what they like. Watch the rosé markup, lean into the Zuccardi, and you'll leave happy.
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