California Reds, Sizzling Steaks, Zero Surprises
Downtown / Casino Row · Reno · Upscale American Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 17, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Ruth's Chris lands like a greatest hits album — you know every track before it plays. Napa Cabs, a couple of Sonoma options, some Bordeaux for the table that orders the côte de boeuf and wants to feel French about it. It's polished, predictable, and priced for people who are already spending $60 on a ribeye.
The list runs 150 to 300 bottles deep, which sounds impressive until you realize roughly half of that is California Cabernet Sauvignon at various price points. Caymus, Jordan, Silver Oak Alexander Valley, and Duckhorn anchor the list with the kind of names that appear on every corporate expense account in America. There's a Bordeaux section for credibility and a Chardonnay corner headlined by Rombauer and Far Niente — both crowd favorites, neither exactly adventurous. If you want Burgundy, Barolo, Rioja, or anything that didn't come from a winery with a gift shop and a waiting list, you're largely out of luck.
The by-the-glass program runs 15 to 25 options, which is a solid count for a steakhouse. Expect the same California-heavy lineup in miniature — a Rombauer pour is almost certainly on there, and that's not a bad thing. Rotation appears minimal; this list is more 'laminated menu' than 'ask your server what's new.'
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $95
Jordan consistently overdelivers for the price relative to what surrounds it on this list. It's elegant where Caymus leans extracted, and at a steakhouse markup it's one of the few bottles where you don't feel robbed.
Duckhorn Merlot
Everyone at the table is ordering Cab, and that's exactly why you should order this. Duckhorn's Merlot is genuinely serious wine — structured, age-worthy, and consistently underordered because the word 'Merlot' still spooks people post-Sideways. Their loss.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is fine wine in the same way that a hotel gym is fine exercise. It's everywhere, it's marked up to the moon at every steakhouse in the country, and the brand has been producing at such volume for so long that the magic is mostly nostalgia. Save your money for the Jordan or a second appetizer.
Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon + USDA Prime Ribeye
Silver Oak's Alexander Valley Cab has enough fruit weight and oak backbone to stand up to the fat and char on a 500-degree-plate ribeye without bulldozing it. It's the classic steakhouse pairing for a reason — sometimes the obvious answer is obvious because it works.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Ruth's Chris Reno is a reliable, well-run steakhouse wine program inside a casino resort — competent glassware, proper storage, and a sommelier who knows the list cold. Just don't come here looking for discovery; come here knowing exactly what you want and prepared to pay full freight for it.
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