Desert steakhouse doing California right
Rancho Mirage · Rancho Mirage · American, Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 10, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Steakhouse’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 wine list at The Steakhouse reads like a greatest hits album of California Cabernet — you know every track, but they still sound good with a ribeye. It's exactly what you'd expect from an upscale casino steakhouse in the desert, and that's not entirely a bad thing. Wine Spectator has been handing them an Award of Excellence since 2007, and the California-heavy program earns that nod.
The list runs 150-250 bottles and leans hard into Napa — Caymus, Silver Oak, Stag's Leap, Far Niente, Jordan, Duckhorn. These are reliable, crowd-pleasing names that steak lovers recognize and trust. There's no adventurous detour into Burgundy or Barolo, no natural wine cameo, no surprises lurking in the back pages. What you get is a well-curated California program that plays it safe but plays it well — the kind of list that was built to sell bottles, not to challenge anyone.
With 12-20 by-the-glass options, there's enough range to navigate a full meal without committing to a bottle. Rombauer Chardonnay almost certainly anchors the white pours — it's a crowd-pleasing lock in any California steakhouse context. The glass list won't surprise you, but it won't embarrass you either.
Jordan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon — $80
Jordan consistently overdelivers for the name-recognition price point. At a casino steakhouse where the shelf-talker names run steep, Jordan offers genuine Alexander Valley quality without pushing into three-figure territory.
Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot
Everyone at this table is ordering Cabernet, and Duckhorn's Merlot is quietly sitting there being excellent. Plush, structured, and built for red meat — most people walk right past it chasing the bigger Cab names.
Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is fine wine, but it's also the most marked-up bottle on any steakhouse list in America. You're paying a premium for the label recognition, and in a casino setting, that premium gets steeper. The juice doesn't justify what they're charging here.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon + Prime ribeye
Stag's Leap has the structure to cut through a heavily marbled ribeye without overwhelming it — more elegant than Caymus, more precise than Silver Oak. It's the Napa Cab that actually complements the meat instead of competing with it.
The Bottom Line
The Steakhouse isn't reinventing the wine list, but for a desert casino steakhouse it's doing the job — solid California producers, proper storage, and a program that's held a Wine Spectator nod for nearly two decades. Come for the beef, order the Jordan, and don't expect any curveballs.
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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Acceptable
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Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
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Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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