Best Wine Lists in Virginia

The Palm Tysons Corner

· McLean · American Steakhouse

The Wild Card

We don't fully understand how a six-bottle list this good ended up at The Palm Tysons Corner, but here we are. If you're eating here and care about wine at all, this list deserves your attention — especially that Sancerre at $23. It's a small program, but it's a thoughtful one, and in a category full of lazy steakhouse lists, that counts for a lot.

Eddie Merlot's

· Ashburn · American Steakhouse

The Reliable

Eddie Merlot's is a dependable upscale steakhouse that delivers on the beef side of the equation. The wine program appears to be functional rather than inspired — a crowd-pleasing list built to sell confidently, not to excite. If you're coming for a business dinner or a straightforward date night and want a Napa Cab with your prime-aged ribeye, you'll be just fine. If you want something to talk about on the drive home, you might need to bring your own bottle or do a little pre-visit homework.

Fogo de Chão

· Tysons · Brazilian Steakhouse

The Reliable

Fogo de Chão Tysons has enough South American options — particularly the Argentine and Uruguayan pours — to keep the wine program honest in the context of a Brazilian steakhouse. The markups are steep and the list doesn't push you anywhere new, but if you stay in your lane (order the Alamos or Zuccardi Malbec, eat a lot of beef), you'll leave happy. Send a friend here for the meat; tell them to keep it simple with the wine.

Mermaid Winery

· Virginia Beach · Winery/Restaurant

The Wild Card

Mermaid Winery earns its Wild Card badge: it's a Virginia Beach winery with a beach-tourist home base that manages to slip in a Nahe Blanc de Noir, a Vinho Verde, and a Michigan Brut Rosé without making a big deal about it. Pricing is fair across the board, the by-the-glass program is genuinely one of the most accessible we've seen in terms of sheer volume, and the house wines keep the floor affordable. If you're in Virginia Beach and want something more interesting than the hotel minibar, this is worth the stop.

Eddie V's Prime Seafood

· McLean · Seafood Steakhouse

The Lazy List

With only four wines sourced from the menu and no pricing data to work with, we can't responsibly call out a winner or a steal here — and honestly, there may not be one. If you're making a trip to Eddie V's McLean for wine, recalibrate expectations before you arrive or lean hard into the cocktail list instead.

P.F. Chang's

· Newport News · Chinese

The Lazy List

P.F. Chang's Newport News doesn't take wine seriously, and the two-bottle list makes that plain. The $6 price point softens the blow, but if wine matters to your meal, you're better off sticking to the cocktail menu or a cold Tsingtao. We wouldn't steer anyone here for the wine program.

Latitudes Bistro & Bar

City Center · Newport News · Hotel Restaurant / New American

The Reliable

Latitudes won't inspire any wine lists of its own, but it's honest about what it is: a competent hotel wine program priced fairly enough that you won't feel gouged when the check arrives. If you're here for dinner, grab the Arcturos Riesling or the Campuget Rosé, avoid The Prisoner's markup, and pair wisely with the seafood. It does the job.

Stave & Cork

· Roanoke · Wine Bar / Small Plates

The Wild Card

Stave & Cork earns a Wild Card for being a genuinely unpretentious wine bar in a part of Virginia that doesn't have many of them, with a smart regional lean toward Virginia producers and a room that makes you want to stay for one more glass. We'd love to come back with a full menu and list in hand — until then, go in open-minded, ask the staff what's pouring, and start with the charcuterie board.

Hawkers Asian Street Food – National Landing

National Landing · Arlington · Asian street food

The Lazy List

Hawkers gets credit for leaning aromatic and lighter on the whites, which at least shows someone thought about what people are actually eating. But with no pricing data, an unclear by-the-glass situation, and a red wine section that reads like a filler order, this list doesn't inspire confidence. Order the Crémant or the Alvarinho and move on — the food is doing the heavy lifting here anyway.

Tastings of Charlottesville

Downtown · Charlottesville · Wine Bar / French-Leaning Bistro

The Wild Card

Tastings is a genuine wine-first room in a city that punches above its weight in food and drink — if you want a knowledgeable hand guiding your dinner rather than a generic list to navigate alone, this is the move. Not flashy, but built for people who actually care.

Second Street American Bistro

· Newport News · American Bistro

The Wild Card

This isn't a wine list in the traditional sense — it's a producer showcase, and Second Street leans into it with a multi-course dinner format. If you're into Napa and trust the Spoto brand, it's a worthwhile evening; if you wanted options, you're out of luck.

Carrabba's Italian Grill – Newport News

· Newport News · Italian

The Lazy List

Carrabba's wine list does exactly what a chain wine list does: it keeps people comfortable and keeps margins high. If you're here for a business dinner or a family birthday, order the TerraMare house pour and move on — but don't come here expecting wine to be part of the experience.