Meat-forward list that knows its lane
Uptown · Albuquerque · Brazilian Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 13, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Fogo de Chão Albuquerque is built around one mission: sell big red wines to people eating a lot of meat. It does that job competently, leaning hard into Argentina and Chile with a few California names scattered in. There's nothing surprising here, but nothing embarrassing either.
The list runs 80-150 bottles and stays squarely in South American and California territory — Argentina and Chile do the heavy lifting, with Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon leading the charge. Catena Zapata and Don Melchor represent the top tier, which is a legitimate flex for a chain steakhouse. Brazil gets a token appearance, which feels right given the concept but doesn't go deep enough to be interesting. If you're hunting for Burgundy, Barolo, or anything off the beaten path, move along.
Roughly 12-20 by-the-glass options keep the program accessible, though the rotation appears static — what's on the list today is probably what's been on the list for months. The pours skew predictably toward crowd-pleasing reds, which is fine when you're eating picanha but leaves white and sparkling drinkers with slim pickings.
Trivento Reserve Malbec — $60
Trivento Reserve punches above its retail weight, and at a steakhouse markup it's the least painful entry point for an honest, fruit-forward Malbec that can stand up to the churrasco.
Clos de los Siete Malbec
Most tables default to the Catena name they recognize, but Clos de los Siete — Michel Rolland's Mendoza project — brings more complexity and savory depth. Most people walk right past it.
Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha
A perfectly fine grocery-store bottle that routinely retails for $18-22 — at steakhouse markup it's a bad deal when better options are sitting right next to it on the same list.
Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon + Picanha
Don Melchor's structure and dark fruit go head-to-head with picanha's rich fat cap without getting buried — it's the one bottle on this list worth the splurge if you're ordering the full churrasco experience.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Fogo de Chão Albuquerque won't win any awards for wine creativity, but the South American red game is solid enough to get you through a meat marathon without regret. Just don't expect to discover anything new — this list is on autopilot.
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