Pretty Room, Punishing Markups, Pass the Mezcal
Unknown · Cincinnati · Modern Mexican Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 28, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Toca Madera reads like a Greatest Hits of airport wine shops — Cakebread, Meiomi, Kim Crawford, all the familiar faces lined up at deeply unfamiliar prices. It's a list built for guests who recognize names, not for guests who actually care about wine. The dim, theatrical room almost distracts you from what you're paying.
Eighty to a hundred-plus bottles sounds like range until you realize it's mostly California's commercial heavy-hitters with a nod to Spain and Mexico that feels more decorative than committed. There's no real depth in any single region — no interesting grower Champagnes, no small-producer Riojas, no boutique Baja labels that might actually honor the Mexican concept. The list leans hard on bold Cabs and easy Chardonnays because that's what moves in a steakhouse, and Toca Madera knows it. Adventurous drinkers will find nothing to chase here.
Twelve to eighteen pours by the glass sounds generous, but if those pours are priced proportionally to the bottles — and there's every reason to believe they are — you're looking at $18-22 glasses of wine that retail for $5-7 in a bottle. The glass program appears to track the same commercial-safe producers as the bottle list. Wednesday's half-price bottle night is genuinely the only reason to think about wine here.
Daou Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2022 — $95
At $95 it's still a 73% markup on a $55 retail bottle, which is the least offensive math on this list. On a Wednesday at half-price you're at $47.50 for a genuinely solid Paso Cab — that's actually a fair deal and the closest thing to a win this list offers.
Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay Napa Valley 2022
Not a hidden gem in the traditional sense — it's one of Napa's most recognized labels — but at $85 it's marked up the most conservatively of the Chardonnay options on this list. If you're set on a white and it's Wednesday, this is where you land.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2023
An $18 retail bottle priced at $48 is a 167% markup on a wine you've definitely had at a grocery store. There is no world in which this is the right call at dinner. Order a cocktail instead — this is a cocktail bar with a wine list attached, and the cocktails are probably better anyway.
Daou Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2022 + A5 Wagyu
Paso Robles Cab has the structure and dark fruit to stand up to the fat richness of A5 wagyu without overwhelming the delicate beef flavor. It's the most logical pairing on the menu and the best value bottle — so at least the math and the flavors agree.
Wednesday — Half-price bottles of wine all night
❌ The Bottom Line
Toca Madera is a great place to drink mezcal cocktails and order tableside guacamole — the wine list is an afterthought dressed up in a long menu. Come on a Wednesday, grab the Daou, and spend the rest of the night letting the room do its thing.
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
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Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North / Kenwood area · Cincinnati · New American / Grill & Wine Bar
Seasons 52 Cincinnati is a chain wine program that punches above its weight class on volume and actually tries — Monday half-price bottles are a legitimate reason to show up on a specific night. Just go in knowing this is a crowd-pleaser list, not a discovery list, and you'll leave satisfied.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
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Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Newport (Greater Cincinnati Riverfront) · Cincinnati · Seafood
Chart House delivers exactly what it promises: a reliable, unadventurous wine list in a spectacular waterfront setting. Come for the view and the lobster bisque — just don't expect the wine list to match the scenery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
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.