California Classics Done Right in the Suburbs
Lincolnshire · Lincolnshire · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 13, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Three Embers’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Three Embers sits inside the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort, and the wine list feels exactly like that sounds — polished, predictable, and built to please a business dinner table without anyone having to think too hard. That said, Wine Spectator handed them an Award of Excellence in 2024, and flipping through the list, you can see why — the California heavyweights are all accounted for and priced without the usual hotel-lobby gouging.
The list runs 150 to 250 bottles and leans hard into California, which is both its strength and its ceiling. You've got Caymus, Jordan, Stag's Leap, Silver Oak, Duckhorn, Sonoma-Cutrer, and Rombauer all showing up — essentially a greatest hits compilation of Napa and Sonoma. If you want to go off-script into Burgundy, Barolo, or anything remotely esoteric, you'll be disappointed. But if you're here with a client who wants a Cabernet they recognize, you're well-covered and won't feel ripped off.
The by-the-glass program runs 12 to 20 options in the $12–$18 range, which is reasonable for an upscale hotel restaurant in the northern suburbs. Expect the usual suspects — a Chardonnay or two, a Cabernet anchor, maybe a Pinot. The range is functional rather than exciting, but the pricing keeps it approachable for a midweek pour.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $40-$150 range
Jordan consistently overdelivers for what you pay at restaurants — it's got the structure and fruit profile to hold its own next to pricier Napa pours, and Three Embers prices it without the markup that usually turns a good bottle into a budget crisis.
Duckhorn Merlot
Everyone in a hotel steakhouse reaches for the Cabernet, which means the Duckhorn Merlot gets ignored. That's a mistake — this is serious Napa Merlot with depth and texture, and it tends to sit at a softer price point than the Cab-centric headliners on a list like this.
Rombauer Chardonnay
Rombauer is fine, but it's also on every wine list in America and priced accordingly. You're paying for the name recognition at this point — buttery and crowd-pleasing, yes, but not worth the markup when Sonoma-Cutrer is sitting right there offering more restraint and better QPR.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon + Prime beef cuts
Stag's Leap built its reputation on exactly this kind of pairing — structured Napa Cab with dark fruit and enough tannin to cut through a well-marbled steak. It's not a creative choice, but it's a correct one, and sometimes that's all you need.
The Bottom Line
Three Embers isn't going to blow anyone away, but it's a genuinely solid wine program for a hotel restaurant — fair prices, credible producers, and a California focus that actually makes sense for the crowd it's serving. Send a friend here for a business dinner and they won't be embarrassed by the wine list.
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
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Crowd Pleasers
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Solid Range
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