Why Are Steakhouse Wine Lists So Resistant to Change?
From Caymus to Ornellaia, steakhouses continue to rely on the same familiar bottles even as today's wine drinkers increasingly seek discovery, diversity, and something new.
Written by Vicki Denig
They say that trends come and go, and wine fads are no exception. However, in the ever-evolving world of wine, there are certain establishments where consistency remains king; enter the classic steakhouse, where Caymus, Silver Oak, Tignanello, and Ornellaia have seemingly found their forever home. While a case can be made for the wines' enduring presence, the justification for serving repetitive big-brand producers, and the lack of diversity remains in question.
One can’t help but think, has one of dining’s most traditional categories remained so resistant to change? Why do so many steakhouse lists lack wines from low-intervention producers like Roagna, Dard et Ribo, Château Le Puy, and López de Heredia?
For many, change is uncomfortable—and wine is no different. Morgane Caubet, sommelier at Barberian’s, the oldest steakhouse in Toronto, explains that returning guests generally know what they want, as well as what to expect. “Returning guests are coming back for an experience that they are used to,” she says. “You get the same hospitality, servers, dishes, and cuts of meat.” So why would wine be any different?
Kelli White, Director of Education at The Wine Center at Meadowood in Napa Valley and a former sommelier, explains that for many diners, big red wines are as essential to the steakhouse experience as creamed spinach, simply because they’ve always been standard fare. Similarly, Joe Carroll, owner of St. Anselm, a Brooklyn-based steakhouse known for its forward-thinking wine list that includes producers like Clos Saron, Mas Coutelou, and Jean-Yves Person, attributes the lack of change to an older customer demographic with very specific ideas about which wines they enjoy—and who rarely take chances outside that realm. “There’s a bit of a hangover from the '80s and '90s that’s stuck in people’s heads and tells them they must drink big, bold reds with steak,” Carroll says.
Elsewhere in Brooklyn, Megan Schmitt, General Manager & Wine Director at the 147-year-old steakhouse Gage & Tollner, agrees. “There’s still a demand for a certain style of list; trends come and go, but the classic steakhouse experience remains very appealing to people—and big, bold reds from traditional producers are part of that expectation,” she says. Caubet echoes the sentiment from a business perspective, stating that it’s logical to keep investing in wines that automatically sell. “When guests keep buying the same references, we know we’ll make a profit,” she says. “It would be a mistake not to offer these wines.”
That familiarity often extends beyond guests and into the people building the lists themselves. Carroll notes that many steakhouse wine buyers are afraid of taking chances on small-production wines for fear of being stuck with inventory they can’t sell. Instead, restaurants stick to commercial brands their customers recognize, upping the likelihood that inventory will move. “Sometimes the reason is even worse, and it’s because the wine buyers know very little about wine and just let their reps build the list for them,” he reveals.
White also points out that many restaurants avoid investing in dedicated sommeliers and instead rely on managers or waitstaff to service bottles, making familiar wines with consistent availability naturally more appealing. “With smaller brands, consistent availability might be an issue and changing wine lists all the time is a lot of work,” she says.
White also highlights the immensely high food costs that steakhouses bear, which many make up for in bottle markups. “The restaurant owner or sommelier might extrapolate that their clientele has the ability and interest to purchase high-end wines and therefore over-index in them on the list,” she says, reiterating that this isn’t restaurants taking advantage of guests, but rather that the margin has to come from somewhere—and wine is the obvious choice. Caubet notes that this dynamic is especially common during business dinners where guests often gravitate toward recognizable appellations and brands as a kind of safe choice. “People get recognizable appellations—Napa Valley Cabernet, Barolo, Amarone della Valpolicella—and recognizable brands like Caymus, Silver Oak, or Tignanello,” she says. “Sometimes it’s also a way to show they ordered a valuable wine and showcase it to clients.”
Still, the issue isn’t necessarily that steakhouses guests are unwilling to drink differently—it’s that many simply haven’t been given the opportunity to. During her time at PRESS, formerly a napa-based steakhouse, White recalls numerous ways that she and her team ensured the list remained diverse yet successful. “First, we made the gamble that if we lowered wine markups we could make up the lost revenue in volume—and thankfully, that panned out,” she says. Additionally, White notes that the restaurant’s former chef, Trevor Kunk, put a huge emphasis on vegetables. “While we did all the classic steakhouse things really well, we also had a super vibrant vegetarian program, and that unlocked all sorts of other cool wine pairing options that expanded the list accordingly,” she says.
Expanding beyond bottle sales can also help bridge the gap between familiarity and discovery. At Barberian’s, Caubet reworked her by-the-glass program to feature lesser-known grapes and regions. “It’s working well,” she reveals, emphasizing that training waitstaff and encouraging them to taste the wines is also key. “They’re the wines’ best ambassadors,” she affirms. Skye Olds, winemaker at Nape-based Sky Vineyards agrees. “The best way to lead steakhouse customers to other wines is with approachable staff that really knows the wines and can help diners be more adventurous.”
Carroll says he simply buys wines that he loves to drink. “We love turning people onto new and interesting things they might not otherwise have come across,” he says, emphasizing that having an open-minded demographic of consumers is key. Similarly, Caubet shares an affinity for sensibly made, terroir-driven wines that respect the places from which they come—and that every so often, like-minded guests will order them without prompt. “We have some clients requesting low-intervention wines, especially younger people who have developed an interest in natural producers, but it's not the majority,” she reveals.
Above all, White affirms that creating a versatile wine list without sacrificing the classic steakhouse vibe is feasible—and that simply pushing the boundaries with Cabernet is a great place to start. “There are a lot of ‘classic Cabernets’ being made in the United States by boutique, new, or family-run producers that I’m sure would deeply appreciate a little steakhouse love,” she says, citing Dyer, Beta Wines and Jasud Estate, and Enfield Wine Co. as top examples.
For Schmitt, building a versatile steakhouse wine list comes down to what kind of experience a restaurant wants to create. There may never be a “correct” approach to a steakhouse wine program, though for her, refusing to evolve would never be it. “There’s too much great wine out there not to make space for it,” She says. “We want it all!”