Best Wine Lists in Michigan

Vernales is a dependable wine destination for northern Michigan — the setting is genuinely great, the California lineup is well-chosen even if it plays it safe, and the Award of Excellence is earned. Just don't come looking for surprises, and watch the markup.

Slopeside Lounge won't change how you think about wine lists, but it'll keep you warm and well-poured after a day on the mountain. Lean into the California program, trust the sommeliers, and skip the Caymus.

Highlands is a reliable special-occasion wine stop backed by a knowledgeable sommelier in Kevin Williams and a Wine Spectator Award it's held since 2022. The list won't surprise you, but at 71 floors up with a bone-in ribeye in front of you, you probably weren't asking it to.

Streetside Seafood won't surprise you, but it will satisfy you — a well-run California-focused list with a real sommelier (Kris Doerfling) and a menu built to drink wine with. Skip the Rombauer, find the Merry Edwards, and you're in good shape.

Coast 236 is the rare resort-town restaurant that actually earned its Wine Spectator badge rather than just hanging one on the wall. It's not a wine destination, but it's a genuinely solid list at fair prices in a beautiful setting — send your friends here and tell them to order the Burgundy.

Cut River Grille isn't trying to reinvent the wine list, and that's fine — for a Northern Michigan lakeside dinner, it delivers exactly what it promises: recognizable California wines at fair prices with enough range to keep most tables happy. Send a friend who wants a solid bottle with their prime rib and a view of Higgins Lake.

Five Steakhouse is a dependable, well-kept California list that plays to its audience without apology — fair enough for a resort steakhouse in Plymouth, even if adventurous drinkers will want to look elsewhere. Send your Cab-loving friend here without hesitation; send the natural wine nerd with a cocktail recommendation instead.

Cantoro Trattoria punches well above its suburban weight class with a credible, Italy-forward wine list and a sommelier who knows the cellar. Markups keep it from being a steal, but if you're eating osso buco and Barolo in Plymouth, Michigan, this is your spot.

Brentwood Grille isn't here to challenge your assumptions about wine — it's here to make sure you have a great bottle with a great steak in Novi, Michigan, and at that it genuinely succeeds. Send a friend here if they want a reliably solid California wine experience without any homework required.

Gaucho is a genuine wine surprise in Northville — a Brazilian steakhouse that takes its South American wine program seriously enough to earn a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence every year since 2013. The markups get steep on the California names, but stick to the Argentine and Chilean bottles and you'll eat and drink very well. Wednesday's half-price wine night is the kind of deal you tell your friends about.

The English Inn isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence — held since 1994 — by keeping a focused, fairly priced California list that genuinely fits the food and the setting. If you're making the trip out to Eaton Rapids, order the Cab, get the prime rib, and let the Grand River do the rest.

Alpino is doing something genuinely unusual for Detroit — an alpine-themed kitchen with a wine list that actually matches the room's ambition, not just its vibe. Send your friends here, tell them to order Austrian, and sit near the fireplace.