California Depth Without the West Coast Pretension
Unknown · Fort Worth · American Brasserie / Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed March 28, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Five hundred labels is a serious statement in a Fort Worth dining room, and Waters backs it up with a California-heavy list that reads like a love letter to Napa and Sonoma. This is a grown-up wine program — not a curated natty list, not a lazy steakhouse afterthought. Someone here actually cares.
The list leans hard into California, with real depth in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the right addresses — Aubert in both Sonoma and Carneros, Merry Edwards and Paul Hobbs in Russian River Valley. Stags' Leap Winery anchors the Napa side for guests who want something white and structured. If you're hunting for Old World breadth or anything adventurous outside the California corridor, you may feel the walls closing in — but within that lane, the quality benchmark is legitimately high. This is a list built for people who know what they like and want a lot of it.
Twenty to thirty pours by the glass is an ambitious program and gives the table real options before anyone commits to a bottle. The BTG selection tracks the broader list — expect California stalwarts rather than anything left-field. Rotation cadence isn't clear from what we've seen, but with a sommelier on staff, there's at least someone minding the program.
Stags' Leap Winery Napa White — null
Stags' Leap is a known quantity with real Napa pedigree, and their white typically flies under the radar compared to their Cab program. If pricing is in line with the rest of the list, this is the smart order for the seafood tower — structured, food-friendly, and a name that commands more on the floor than it costs the restaurant.
Aubert Carneros Chardonnay
Most tables at a seafood brasserie grab a familiar name. Aubert's Carneros bottling is the one worth tracking down — more tension and mineral drive than their Sonoma fruit-bomb reputation might suggest. It's the kind of Chardonnay that actually works with a plate of oysters instead of fighting them.
Paul Hobbs Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Paul Hobbs makes serious wine, but at restaurant markup in a $$$-tier room, you're almost certainly paying a significant premium over retail for a bottle that's widely distributed and easy to find elsewhere. Save the Pinot Noir spend for somewhere the markup is friendlier, or pivot to the Merry Edwards if you need to stay in the RRV lane.
Merry Edwards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir + Pan-roasted fish
Merry Edwards RRV Pinot has enough weight and red-fruit structure to hold its own next to a seared fish with a rich pan sauce, without the tannin that would flatten the protein. It's the move when you want red wine but the kitchen is pointing you toward fish.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Waters is a serious wine destination by Fort Worth standards — 500 labels, a real sommelier, and a California program with genuine depth. The pricing is what you'd expect from a polished brasserie, which is to say bring a budget, but the list earns the spend more often than not.
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Fort Worth · Fort Worth · American
Grace is the real deal — a Fort Worth restaurant that has built and maintained a wine program worthy of the city's best table. The markups run steep and the list plays it safer than adventurous, but when the caliber is this high and the service is this dialed in, we're still sending every wine-serious friend through the door.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
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Ruth's Chris Fort Worth is exactly what it advertises: a reliable, well-run steakhouse wine list that will not surprise you, disappoint you, or make you think too hard. Order the Gruet, skip the Dom, and let the ribeye be the star of the evening.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.