California Cabs Meet Wild Game Country
Downtown Austin · Austin · Southwestern American, Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed April 9, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walk into Lonesome Dove and the room does the talking — warm wood, low light, and the kind of upscale cowboy energy that makes you want to order something with antlers. The wine list matches the room: serious, California-forward, and clearly built to impress. It's a Best of Award of Excellence winner since 2017, and that credential isn't just wall decor.
The list runs 250-350 bottles deep with a clear center of gravity in California, and not the bargain-bin kind — we're talking Caymus, Silver Oak, Stag's Leap, Opus One, and Far Niente as the headliners. It's a roster that reads like a Greatest Hits of Napa, which is great if that's your game, but don't come hunting for Burgundy or anything from the Rhône. Duckhorn Merlot and Jordan Cabernet round out a list that's polished and reliable, even if it doesn't take many risks. If this wine program has a flaw, it's that it leans heavily on recognizable names rather than digging for anything unexpected.
With 20-30 options by the glass, there's genuine range here — enough to work your way through a multi-course game dinner without repeating yourself. The pours skew California and skew red, which makes sense given the menu. We'd love to see more rotation and a few left-field picks, but what's here is competently chosen.
Jordan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon — $40–$60 (estimated glass/entry bottle range)
Jordan is the quiet workhorse of this list — consistent, food-friendly, and one of the few bottles that doesn't ask you to spend triple digits to drink well. Next to Opus One it looks like a bargain, and next to elk tenderloin it looks like a genius move.
Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot
Everyone at the table is eyeing the Cabernets, and that's exactly why you should order the Duckhorn Merlot. It's silkier, more versatile with the game-heavy menu, and consistently underordered — meaning your server might actually talk you out of it, which is the wrong call.
Opus One
It's a great wine. It's also a flex purchase that restaurants mark up aggressively, and at Lonesome Dove you're paying a significant premium to drink something you could find at a wine shop for considerably less. Save the Opus One budget for the buffalo ribeye.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon + Buffalo Ribeye
Buffalo is leaner and more mineral-driven than beef, and Stag's Leap Cab — with its signature iron-fist-in-velvet-glove structure — meets it in exactly the right register. It's the most classically Napa pairing on the menu and it earns that reputation.
The Bottom Line
Lonesome Dove is the right restaurant to order a serious California Cabernet and eat something you've never had before — the wine list is built for exactly that moment. It's not adventurous and it's not cheap, but it's polished, properly maintained, and earns its Wine Spectator badge.
· Austin · Steakhouse
Perry's is a competent steakhouse wine program that won't embarrass you, but it won't thrill you either. The by-the-glass breadth is the real story here — 37 options gives you room to explore without committing to a bottle. Just don't come expecting adventurous picks or fair markups across the board; come expecting a list that gets the job done for a celebratory dinner without too much fuss.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Austin · Seafood Steakhouse
Truluck's Austin runs a by-the-glass program that genuinely outperforms what most standalone seafood houses manage, with producers like Markus Molitor and Drouhin-Vaudon sitting next to the expected California lineup. Pricing is fair without being flashy. If you're eating seafood and want to drink well without committing to a bottle, this list has you covered — just work through the whites and bubbles and don't let the Napa trophy bottles at the top drain your wallet.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Austin · Upscale American Seafood and Steakhouse
Eddie V's is a reliable wine destination in the sense that a well-pressed suit is reliable — it won't let you down, but it won't make anyone's year-end list either. If you're on a date, celebrating something, or just need a wine program that won't embarrass you in front of a client, this is a safe and comfortable call. Just don't expect to find anything that makes you pull out your phone to take a note.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Austin · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Austin is not a destination wine list, but it's a legitimately fair one — South American focus, honest prices, and a couple of genuine steals hiding in plain sight. If you're here for the espeto corrido experience, grab a VIK blend at $30 and don't overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Austin · Steakhouse
ALC Steaks plays it safe and plays it competently — this is a wine list that serves the room without challenging it. If you know what you're looking for, there are smart picks buried in here; if you don't, you'll still drink fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Austin · Austin · American, Italian
Sammie's is a genuinely fun room with a wine list that's earned its Wine Spectator hardware — the Italian depth is real, the sommelier knows her stuff, and Monday half-price bottles might be the best deal in Austin. Just go in knowing the markups lean steep, and let Jenny point you toward the plays that aren't on the tourist track.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
Litchfield Park · Litchfield Park · Southwestern American, Steakhouse
Litchfield's isn't trying to reinvent wine; it's trying to make sure you enjoy a very good bottle of California Cabernet in a room that knows how to treat you right. For a resort steakhouse in the Arizona desert, that's a perfectly honorable goal — and with Christopher McLean steering the ship, they pull it off.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Lubbock · Lubbock · Southwestern American, Steakhouse
Las Brisas is exactly the kind of wine program you should seek out when you're in a food city that doesn't get enough credit — a real sommelier, a cellar that respects both Napa and the Texas Hill Country, and enough range to reward the curious. It's not cheap, but it's not lazy either, and in Lubbock, that counts for a lot.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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