California Classics Done Right for Steak Night
Hanes Mall / Strickland Rd · Winston Salem · American Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 25, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Firebirds reads like a greatest hits album of California wine — Jordan, Duckhorn, Sonoma-Cutrer, Meiomi. You know every song, you've heard them all before, and honestly, sometimes that's exactly what you want. It's a polished, approachable list built to match the room: wood-fired steaks, confident service, and zero surprises.
With 100-150 bottles, the list leans hard into California and the Pacific Northwest — Napa, Sonoma, Washington State — with the kind of brand-name reliability that keeps a steakhouse crowd comfortable. Jordan Cabernet from Alexander Valley and Duckhorn Merlot from Napa anchor the reds, while Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay holds down the white side. Don't come here looking for a grower Champagne or an obscure Jura find; this list isn't trying to be that. The regional focus is narrow, and anything outside the California axis is an afterthought.
The by-the-glass program is genuinely generous at 20-30 options — that's a real commitment for a chain steakhouse, and it means you can explore a little without committing to a bottle. Meiomi Pinot Noir shows up here as the crowd-pleasing workhorse, and it earns that spot. The pours are standard restaurant size, nothing revelatory, but the selection gives most tables something they'll be happy with.
Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay — null
Russian River Ranches is a genuinely good, site-specific Chardonnay — not just a label play. In a list this California-centric, this is the bottle that actually justifies what you're spending. Restrained oak, real acidity, and it can handle both the seafood and the lighter steak cuts without getting lost.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
Jordan gets dismissed as a dinner-party brand by the wine nerd crowd, but that's snobbery talking. Alexander Valley Cab at its best is plush, food-friendly, and less aggressively tannic than Napa — exactly what you want against a wood-fired ribeye. Most tables here walk past it for something flashier. Don't.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
Meiomi is everywhere — your grocery store, your local chain, your in-laws' fridge. It's fine, it's sweet, and it's almost certainly marked up well past what it's worth on a restaurant list. If you're going to spend money at Firebirds, spend it on something you can't pick up at Costco on the way home.
Duckhorn Merlot, Napa Valley + Wood-Fired Steak
Duckhorn Merlot is a Napa Valley staple for a reason — it's rich, structured, and generous without being a bruiser. Against a char-kissed wood-fired steak, that dark fruit and soft tannin structure is exactly the right counterweight. Classic move, but classics exist because they work.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Firebirds isn't trying to reinvent anything, and the wine list reflects that — it's a dependable, California-forward selection that does its job without embarrassing itself. If you want adventure, look elsewhere; if you want a solid bottle with a good steak in a comfortable room, this gets you there.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.