Power Dining With a Cellar to Match
Washington · Washington · American, Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at The Occidental arrives like the restaurant itself — serious, heavy, and clearly not messing around. Seven-hundred-plus selections in a room that's been hosting presidents since Teddy Roosevelt's era sets an expectation, and the list doesn't flinch. This is old-school power dining with the cellar to back it up.
California and France anchor the list with real authority — we're talking Opus One, Dominus Estate, Chateau Margaux, and Chateau Lynch-Bages alongside the kind of Louis Jadot Burgundy lineup that actually rewards exploration. Italy gets a respectable nod with Tignanello holding it down for the Antinori faithful. The gaps are minor: if you're hunting natural wine or adventurous New World bottles off the beaten path, look elsewhere — but for classic, blue-chip selections executed with conviction, this is one of DC's best rooms. Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence since 2025 is well earned.
Twenty to thirty pours by the glass is a generous offering for a steakhouse of this caliber, with glass prices running $14 to $25 — reasonable given the address and the pedigree. The selection skews predictably toward Cabernet and Chardonnay, which makes sense when half the room is ordering the dry-aged ribeye. We'd love to see a little more range by the glass, but what's there is well-chosen and properly poured.
Jordan Vineyard & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon — $14–$25 by the glass
Jordan is one of California's most consistent over-performers — structured, food-friendly, and never showy. By the glass at The Occidental, it's the smart order before you commit to a full bottle of something bigger.
Marchesi Antinori Tignanello
In a room full of Napa Cabs and Bordeaux heavyweights, Tignanello — that iconic Sangiovese-Cabernet blend from Tuscany — gets overlooked. It's a Raging Wine favorite on any list it appears, and at a steakhouse full of Caymus loyalists, you'll have it practically to yourself.
Caymus Vineyards Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus Special Selection is a fine bottle in the right context, but it's one of the most heavily marked-up wines in America's restaurant industry. You're paying a significant premium here for a label that's become a status signal rather than a value proposition — the money goes further almost anywhere else on this list.
Far Niente Chardonnay + Lobster Bisque
Far Niente's Chardonnay is rich and textured without being a butter bomb — exactly what you want against a cream-forward lobster bisque. The wine's bright acidity cuts through the richness while its toasty oak notes echo the bisque's depth. Classic move, executed well.
🔥 The Bottom Line
The Occidental is the kind of place you bring someone you want to impress — the wine list is deep, the staff knows what they're doing, and the classics are all present and accounted for. Just go in knowing you're paying for the zip code as much as the bottle.
· Washington · Middle Eastern / North African
Maydan's wine list is one of the most geographically coherent and genuinely adventurous in Washington, DC — it matches the kitchen's ambition and then some. If you're willing to let go of the familiar, this is one of the best by-the-glass programs in the city for opening your eyes to what the wine world looks like beyond Europe.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Washington · Restaurant
Moon Rabbit's wine list is doing something rare: it's short enough to read in two minutes and interesting enough to talk about for twenty. If you care about well-chosen, adventurous bottles at prices that won't wreck your dinner bill, send your people here.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Georgetown · Washington · French
Lutèce earns its Wine Spectator nod with a tightly curated French list that goes deeper than the cozy Georgetown bistro setting might suggest. The pricing skews steep once you move past the Loire and Alsace sections, but if you drink strategically — and let Chris point the way — this is a genuinely rewarding wine experience.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Washington · Washington · Spanish
Xiquet is doing something genuinely rare in D.C. — a tightly edited, Spain-first wine program inside a room that actually earns it. Four sommeliers and a Wood Spectator Award of Excellence since 2023 confirm this isn't an accident; just know you're paying for the setting as much as the bottle.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Washington · Washington · Italian
Via Sophia is doing something genuinely focused in a city full of lists that try to please everyone — an all-Italy program with real depth, fair pricing, and a sommelier who actually cares. Send your friends here, tell them to ignore the Sassicaia, and order the Amarone.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Washington · Washington · Seafood
Truluck's is a dependable, well-run wine program that earns its Wine Spectator nod without doing anything surprising — California loyalists and Napa Cab fans will be perfectly happy here. If you want adventure, bring your own recommendations; if you want reliable execution with your stone crab, this delivers.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Denver · Denver · American, Steakhouse
Range is a confident, well-kept steakhouse list that won't surprise you but absolutely won't let you down — especially if California Cabs are your language. Just come in with your eyes open on pricing, and let Dan steer you toward the Jordan.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Geneva · Geneva · American, Steakhouse
The James is a dependable California-focused steakhouse list that earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for doing one thing consistently well. If you're there for the beef and the big reds, you'll leave satisfied — just go in with your eyes open on the markups.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Sauk City · Sauk City · American, Steakhouse
A Wisconsin supper club earning a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence is genuinely surprising, and Green Acres earns it by stocking a focused, California-forward list that's built for exactly the kind of food it serves. It won't impress the natural wine crowd, but it'll take great care of anyone who wants a proper bottle with a proper steak in a historic room off the highway.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.