The Wine List Can Tell You A Lot About The Quality Of A Steakhouse

A great meal at a steakhouse is one of life's most delicious indulgences. Few dishes can match a perfectly cooked, juicy steak — especially if it's paired with the right wine. The wine list at a restaurant can be a great indicator of how much it cares about quality since the pairing will either enhance the meal's flavor or overpower and ruin it. (We're not just making this up to sound fancy: Pairings work on a chemical level, so it's science.) With this in mind, we spoke to Lexi Stephens, founder of Lexi's Wine List, WSET III wine educator, and content creator, to see what to look out for in a steakhouse wine list.

The first thing Stephens recommends is checking to see if there are "a lot of wines on the list that you also see at the grocery store." She explains that this "signals there's nothing special about this list, and you're also getting upcharged three times for a cheap wine you could buy" somewhere else. Of course, some stores offer a great selection of wine, so seeing a few familiar bottles isn't a problem. If the entire list is a copy of the grocery store aisle, though, it suggests the steakhouse didn't put much thought into what wines would pair with the menu. While this might be acceptable at casual restaurants, it's certainly not something you want to see at a high-end steakhouse.

According to Stephen, "depending on your level of wine knowledge, just looking at the [wine] list might not tell you enough" about the quality of the steakhouse. If you're not a wine expert, you can still look out for some red flags while dining out. Besides being wary of too much similarity with a typical grocery store selection, you can see whether the list offers generic red, white, and rosé wines which don't tell you the name of the vineyard, year, or type. Unless the menu is extremely limited, the wine selection should be fairly broad, encompassing different types and regions. This ensures there's a good pairing for every palate and menu item. You can also see if servers use the right type of glass, or fill glasses to the rim, which are big faux pas.

If you don't feel confident yet with your wine knowledge, Stephen recommends that you "ask the sommelier for assistance and be able to describe what you're looking for." The main part of a sommelier's job is making sure you're satisfied with your wine choice, so they'll usually be more than happy to suggest something that matches your flavor preference while also pairing well with your meal. A lack of a sommelier or servers trained in pairings could be another sign that the quality of the steakhouse isn't great. Of course, if the wine the sommelier chose simply doesn't work for you, don't be afraid to politely send it back.