Best Wine Lists in Massachusetts

The Palm Boston

· Boston · Steakhouse

The Wild Card

The Palm Boston's wine list reads like someone handed a natural wine buyer a steakhouse budget and said 'do something interesting' — and they did, with six well-chosen bottles at prices that won't wreck your evening. It's too small to call it a destination for wine, but it's too good to ignore if you're already here for dinner. Ask about what's available by the glass and go straight for the Crochet Sancerre.

Eddie Merlot's

Seaport · Boston · Upscale American Steakhouse

The Reliable

Eddie Merlot's is a reliable date-night or business-dinner destination in the Seaport, and the wine program is functional enough to get the job done — but markup at this category of steakhouse tends to run steep, and the list probably isn't going to surprise you. If you're here for the Prime ribeye, order a glass of whatever Cab is open and don't overthink it; if you're here specifically to drink well, we'd want to see the actual list before making promises.

Black & Blue Steak and Crab

· Wellesley · Steakhouse / Seafood

The Reliable

Black & Blue Wellesley is a reliable if unexciting wine stop — the list covers the crowd-pleaser bases competently, and the Hermann J Wiemer Riesling alone is worth knowing about. If you're in a Cab-and-steak mood with no desire to go hunting for bargains or discovery, you'll be fine. Just don't expect the wine program to keep pace with the check.

Ramsay's Kitchen

Back Bay · Boston · Contemporary American with International Influences

The Reliable

Ramsay's Kitchen is a reliable wine stop in the sense that you won't be embarrassed — the sommelier is there, the glassware is fine, and the list covers the bases. But at Back Bay price points with a celebrity premium baked in, you're paying for the room as much as the bottle. Go in with a food-first mindset, lean on the sommelier for guidance, and temper expectations on getting a steal.

Fogo de Chão

· Burlington · Brazilian Churrascaria

The Wild Card

The headline here is the daily half-price deal on South American bottles under $150 — that's a genuine, no-asterisk promotion that changes the calculus on what you order with your picanha. We'd call it a Wild Card not because the list is adventurous, but because a Brazilian steakhouse with a real wine deal every single day is rarer than it should be. Just don't come expecting a deep cellar or a staff eager to geek out on terroir.

Del Frisco's Grille

· Westwood · American Steakhouse Grille

The Lazy List

If you're a committed Wagner Family fan who wants to drink Belle Glos Pinot Noir and Quilt Cab in a restaurant setting, this is technically your spot. Everyone else should order a cocktail and put their wine budget toward dinner somewhere with an actual wine list.

A broad list with 29 glass pours, Italian and American bottle sections, and a From the Vault section that goes well into four figures. Start with the 2021 Mauro Molino Barolo at $26 a glass or the Batasiolo Gavi di Gavi at $15, and confirm vintages, since the list says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.

A 12-page wine book that runs from $12 glasses to a $945 Opus One, with six- and nine-ounce pours for the still wines by the glass. Start with the $12 six-ounce Foral Alvarinho, or order the $59 Sur Lie Muscadet by the bottle, and confirm vintages before you go. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.

An Italian-led list with bottles into the thousands and a glass page that gives you a way in. Order the $33 Giacosa Fratelli Barolo 2019 by the glass, or step up to a Coravin pour like the $54 Patrizia Cencioni Brunello di Montalcino 2018, and confirm prices before you go. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.

A French-led list with a short glass sheet and a bottle list that runs region by region through Burgundy. Order the Chanteleuserie Bourgueil (15) by the glass, or the Leflaive Bourgogne (258) if you want white Burgundy, and confirm vintages, since the glass sheet is undated and the bottle list is printed 08.12.26. This unrated guide covers the posted wine lists, not service, storage or markups.

A beverage book that covers a lot more than California: 19 glass pours up front, then Napa, Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Rhône and Piedmont behind them. If you are spending, look at the Kistler Les Noisetiers Chardonnay at $175; if you are not, the Zlatan Otok Plavac Mali is the lowest-priced full bottle at $39. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks list, not service, storage or markups.

A long, Italian-heavy list that starts with ordinary-priced pairs and climbs into four-figure Vault bottles. Start with the 14/56 Gavi di Gavi, or the 18/72 Ferrari Brut if you want bubbles, and ask which number is the glass price. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.