National Chain Steakhouse with Expected Wine Playbook
International Drive · Orlando · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Updated March 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · February 27, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Palm Orlando’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 Palm Orlando rolls out the corporate steakhouse wine playbook: a leather-bound list heavy on recognizable Napa Cabs and safe Italian reds. It's designed for expense accounts and tourists who want familiar names, not wine adventures. You know what you're getting before you open the cover.
The list leans hard into California heavyweights—Caymus, Silver Oak, Duckhorn—alongside predictable Italian entries like Antinori and Ruffino Chianti. You'll find some Bordeaux at the higher end and a token Malbec or two for variety. What's missing? Natural wines, interesting Loire whites, anything from Oregon or Washington, or any producer under the radar. This is wine for people who want to recognize the label from the grocery store, just at triple the price.
By-the-glass selections stick to the script: a Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay, a Josh Cabernet, maybe a Whispering Angel rosé in summer. They're poured in standard stemware, nothing varietal-specific, and rotations are glacial. The bartenders pour them confidently enough, but don't expect deep knowledge or personalized recommendations beyond "the Cab pairs great with steak."
Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon — $48
Washington Cab that drinks clean and fruit-forward without the Napa tax—if they have it, it's your best bet under $50
Planeta La Segreta Rosso
Sicilian red blend that most skip for Tuscan names, but offers dark fruit and herb notes that cut through ribeye fat better than over-oaked Cabs
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Marked up to $140+ for a bottle you can find at Total Wine for $85—the markup here is pure brand tax
Masi Costasera Amarone + Veal Parmigiana
The dried-grape richness and sweet spice of Amarone mirrors the tomato sauce sweetness and stands up to the breading without getting lost
The Bottom Line
The Palm Orlando won't surprise you, and that's kind of the point. It's a solid corporate steakhouse with a wine list built for safety over discovery—fine for a client dinner, forgettable for anyone chasing interesting bottles. Order the steak, keep your wine expectations modest.
Winter Park · Orlando · Greek, Mediterranean
AVA MediterrAegean earns its Wine Spectator recognition by doing something genuinely rare in Florida: building a Greek-forward wine program with real depth and the staff to back it up. If you're eating here and not exploring the Greek section, you're missing the whole point.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Orlando · Orlando · French, Regional
The Boheme is the best wine list in the kind of restaurant Downtown Orlando needs more of — it's not groundbreaking, but it's honest, properly focused, and worthy of its Wine Spectator recognition. Send your friends here for a date night, order the Chablis to start, and resist the urge to default to Caymus.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
International Drive · Orlando · Brazilian Churrascaria
Texas de Brazil isn't a wine destination, but it's a smarter wine program than the I-Drive zip code would suggest, and Wednesday's half-price bottles make it a legitimate value play. Come for the meat, stay for the Achaval Ferrer.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Grande Lakes · Orlando · Italian, Mediterranean
Primo is a resort restaurant that takes its wine list seriously enough to back it up with a real sommelier and a WS credential — which puts it well ahead of most hotel dining rooms. Pricing is what it is in this zip code, but the Italian backbone and capable staff make it a genuinely good wine dinner if you pick smart.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Lake Nona · Orlando · Japanese
Nami is the kind of surprise that earns its Wine Spectator badge — a Japanese restaurant in Lake Nona that treats French wine with genuine seriousness, backed by a knowledgeable staff member who can actually guide you through it. Markups keep it from being a steal, but if you're eating omakase anyway, ordering from this list is the right call.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Orlando · Orlando · Brazilian Churrascaria
Chima's wine list does its job: it gives a celebratory crowd recognizable bottles that hold up to a carnivore's parade. If you're after discovery or value-hunting, look elsewhere — but if you want a solid Cab with your carved meats in a room that feels like a party, this delivers.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Steakhouse
Hal's delivers a competent, Napa-forward bottle list that does exactly what a steakhouse wine program is supposed to do — just without much surprise or value mercy. Send a friend here if they want a reliable big-red experience; warn them to leave the credit card breathing room.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Houston · Steakhouse
Perry's is a reliable steakhouse wine list — nothing that'll make you rethink your palate, but enough to drink well with red meat if you know where to look. The fortified and dessert wine section is genuinely worth your attention; the rest is competent but forgettable.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Steakhouse
New York Prime's wine list is exactly what it needs to be for its audience — safe, recognizable, and priced for expense accounts. If you know what you want and don't mind paying for it, you'll be fine; just don't come looking for discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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