Napa's Greatest Hits, Perfectly Cooked Beef
Gaylord Rockies / Gateway Park · Aurora · Steakhouse, American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 20, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Old Hickory, the wine list arrives looking like someone raided a Napa Valley gift shop — Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Far Niente, all present and accounted for. It's a polished, resort-steakhouse list that telegraphs exactly what it is before you turn the first page. Zero surprises, zero apologies.
The list runs 150-plus bottles and leans hard into California — Napa Cabs dominate, with Sonoma and the Pacific Northwest filling in the gaps. Bordeaux makes an appearance for the old-world contingent, but don't expect Burgundy rabbit holes or anything from the Southern Hemisphere. Producers like Duckhorn and Far Niente confirm this is a list built to reassure, not challenge — every label is a name a business traveler would recognize on an expense report. The bones are solid, but there's almost no adventure here.
The by-the-glass program runs 15 to 25 options, which is a respectable count for a hotel steakhouse. Expect the usual suspects — Cab, Chard, Merlot — represented by the same recognizable California names anchoring the bottle list. Rotation appears limited; this reads more like a static program than one someone tends to regularly.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — null
Jordan punches well above its price point in a lineup dominated by trophy Cabs. It's the most food-friendly bottle on this list — less extracted and more structured than Caymus — and in a resort context where everything trends expensive, it's the pick that won't make you wince at checkout.
Duckhorn Merlot
Everyone at this table is ordering Cabernet, which means the Duckhorn Merlot gets overlooked every single night. That's a mistake. Duckhorn's Merlot is one of the most consistent, well-priced bottles in American wine, and next to a prime steak it holds its own against bottles costing twice as much.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is fine wine that has been marked up into trophy-bottle territory at every resort steakhouse in America. You're paying for the name recognition, not the glass. The wine itself is soft, jammy, and crowd-pleasing — but at resort pricing, that's an expensive crowd-pleaser.
Far Niente Chardonnay + Oysters
Far Niente Chardonnay has the weight and richness to hold up to a raw bar without steamrolling it. The wine's restrained oak and bright acidity make it the rare bottle on this list that actually wants to sit next to something other than a ribeye.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Old Hickory is a reliable, well-run resort steakhouse wine program — sommelier on staff, proper glassware, wines stored correctly — but it's built for comfort, not discovery. Send a friend here if they want a guaranteed good glass with a great steak; send someone else if they're looking to find something new.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.