Cowboys, Cabernet, and Serious Cellar Depth
Anaheim · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 5, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Ranch Restaurant & Saloon’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into a Western saloon and finding Chateau Margaux on the wine list is a genuine surprise — the good kind. The Ranch wears its country boots proudly, but the wine program underneath all that reclaimed wood and rope decor is dead serious. This is not the list you expect to find in Anaheim, and that's exactly the point.
With 400–600 selections anchored in California and France, The Ranch has built something that would be at home in a Beverly Hills steakhouse. California Cabernet is the obvious heart of the list — Opus One, Caymus Special Selection, Silver Oak, Dominus Estate, Ridge Monte Bello, and Stag's Leap all show up, which tells you the kitchen and cellar are working in lockstep with serious beef on the plate. France isn't an afterthought either: Chateau Lynch-Bages and Chateau Margaux carry genuine weight. The wildcard is the Madeira program — Barbeito and Blandy's give the list a legitimately rare dimension that most California steakhouses completely ignore, and Wine Spectator has recognized this program since 2014.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a strong showing, running $14–$30 and covering enough ground that you won't feel trapped ordering a bottle. The range skews California-heavy, which makes sense given the cuisine, but we'd like to see a few more options pushing outside the comfort zone of the usual suspects. Rotation isn't well documented, so don't count on discovery — but what's there is well-maintained.
Jordan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon — $60–$80 est.
Jordan is the quiet overachiever on a list full of trophy bottles. It holds its own next to the big-name Napa Cabs at a fraction of the price, and it's the move if you want California character without the Opus One invoice.
Barbeito Madeira
Most people walk past the Madeira section entirely — their loss. Barbeito is a serious producer making some of the most age-worthy, complex wines on earth, and finding them on a list in Anaheim is genuinely unexpected. Order a pour after your prime rib and thank us later.
Caymus Vineyards Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus Special Selection is a crowd magnet, and restaurants know it — the markup here reflects the name recognition more than what's in the glass. There are better, more interesting Cabs on this very list for less money.
Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon + Prime Rib
Montelena is a classic for a reason — structured tannins and dark fruit that stand up to the richness of a thick prime rib cut without steamrolling the beef. It's the kind of pairing that makes you wonder why you'd order anything else.
The Bottom Line
The Ranch is proof that a saloon can have a soul — and a cellar worth taking seriously. The list is deep, the staff knows their stuff, and if you're willing to look past the big-ticket Napa names, there's real discovery here, especially in that Madeira program.
· Anaheim · Hawaiian Fusion
Roy's Anaheim brings a legitimately solid wine list to a tourist-adjacent market that usually settles for far less effort. The markup structure leans steep — especially on recognizable Champagne labels — but the depth of by-the-glass options and the presence of producers like Raats and Leeuwin Estate show a program with real taste. If you're in Anaheim and you want a glass of something worth drinking, this is where you go.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Anaheim · Italian / Pizza
Marri's punches above its weight for a pizza spot — the Italian selections are genuine, the prices are honest, and the list doesn't insult you. We'd send a friend here without hesitation, especially if they order the Valpolicella.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Anaheim · Seafood / Steak
McCormick & Schmick's Anaheim won't impress anyone who thinks about wine for more than thirty seconds, but the prices are fair and the Wairau River is a legit pour. Order the Sauvignon Blanc, eat your seafood, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Anaheim · Southern / American
House of Blues Anaheim does a lot of things — live music, big crowds, Southern comfort food — and wine is clearly not one of them. Order the cocktail, enjoy the show, and save your serious bottle for somewhere that actually cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Anaheim · Wine Bistro / Californian
California Vintage is a genuinely fun concept — all-BTG everything, a solid California-forward list, and a format built for grazing and experimenting. Just watch the markups: the top half of this list gets expensive fast, and the value is almost entirely at the entry level.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Anaheim · Anaheim · Wine bar / small plates
Colony Wine Merchant is the Wild Card Anaheim didn't know it needed — a thoughtful, fairly priced list with genuine international reach tucked into a city better known for theme parks. If you're in the area and want a real glass of wine, this is the move.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Yountville · American
RH Yountville is a genuinely beautiful place to drink wine — the room earns that much on atmosphere alone, and the California-forward list will keep most guests happy without any friction. But in Yountville, where the competition includes some of the most serious wine programs in the country, 'happy without friction' isn't the same as memorable. Go for the experience, order confidently by region, and don't expect the list to surprise you.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bakersfield · American
Yard House Bakersfield is a beer hall that happens to sell wine, and the list makes no effort to hide that. Markups are aggressive, selections are safe to the point of being anonymous, and the only reason to open a bottle here is if your table voted against another round of IPAs. If you're wine-focused, redirect your budget to the Jean-Luc Colombo Rosé by the glass and call it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Yountville · American
The Kitchen at Priest Ranch is a one-winery show, and that's exactly the point. If you want to spend an evening exploring what a single Napa estate produces across whites, rosé, Zinfandel, Merlot, and multiple Cabernet expressions — including older large-format bottles — this is a genuinely interesting way to do it. Just don't come expecting breadth or outside discovery. Send a friend here if they love Priest Ranch or want to.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
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