Highlands
Sky-high views, California-forward and dependable
Renaissance Center · Detroit · Regional Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 17, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You're on the 71st floor of the Renaissance Center with a view that stretches across the Detroit River into Canada — the wine list should match that ambition. It mostly doesn't, but it doesn't embarrass itself either. What you get is a clean, confident steakhouse list built to sell bottles of Caymus and Silver Oak to people celebrating something.
Selection Deep Dive
The 150-250 bottle list leans hard into California Cabernet and French stalwarts, which makes sense for the room but leaves little room for adventure. Caymus, Jordan, Silver Oak Alexander Valley, Stag's Leap, Joseph Phelps Insignia, Opus One — it reads like a greatest-hits record you've heard a hundred times. Louis Jadot anchors the France side, which is fine but doesn't exactly signal that anyone here is digging through Burgundy allocations. If you're hoping for Rhône, Barolo, or anything from the Southern Hemisphere, keep hoping.
By the Glass
Twelve to twenty options by the glass in the $12–$22 range gives you enough to work with before you commit to a bottle. The program looks built around the same California-and-France axis as the full list — don't expect a rotating natural wine or an orange something to show up here. It's purpose-built for the steak-and-occasion crowd, and it does that job without drama.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $45 (estimated entry)
Jordan consistently punches above its price point — approachable on release but structured enough to stand up to a dry-aged ribeye. It's the most honest bottle on a list that skews expensive.
Louis Jadot Burgundy
In a room full of Napa muscle, the Jadot selection is the quiet option most tables overlook. If you're not in a Cabernet mood, this is your move — and it'll hold its own with the filet.
Opus One
Opus One is a trophy bottle, and restaurants like this charge trophy-bottle prices for it. You're paying for the label as much as the wine, and on a steakhouse list at the top of a skyscraper, the markup is almost certainly doing a lot of heavy lifting.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon + Prime dry-aged ribeye
Stag's Leap has the structure to cut through the fat on a dry-aged ribeye without bulldozing it. It's classic Napa Cab with enough restraint to let the beef do the talking — exactly what this dish wants.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Highlands is a reliable special-occasion wine stop backed by a knowledgeable sommelier in Kevin Williams and a Wine Spectator Award it's held since 2022. The list won't surprise you, but at 71 floors up with a bone-in ribeye in front of you, you probably weren't asking it to.
Comments
Get the Weekly Wingman
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.