Napa's Greatest Hits, Served Cold in Alaska
Downtown · Anchorage · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed May 30, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Sullivan's Anchorage, the wine list reads like a highlight reel from the Napa Valley Chamber of Commerce — familiar, reassuring, and priced accordingly. It's the kind of list where you already know most of the names before the waiter finishes his spiel. That's not necessarily a knock; in downtown Anchorage, having 150-plus selections and a sommelier on staff puts this place in a different league than most.
The list leans hard into California, with Napa and Sonoma doing the heavy lifting — Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Stag's Leap, Duckhorn — these are the steakhouse hall-of-famers, and Sullivan's has assembled them faithfully. There's a nod to Willamette Valley for Pinot folks who want to go a different direction, which is a smart inclusion given the Northwest drinking culture up here. What you won't find is much adventure: no grower Champagne, no serious Italian, no old-world Cabernet to challenge the California lineup. The list is built to satisfy, not to surprise.
With 15-30 by-the-glass options, Sullivan's gives you genuine range for a steakhouse pour — not just a token red and white. Expect the usual suspects to anchor the glass list: Rombauer Chardonnay almost certainly holds down the white side, and something in the Cab lane fills the red anchor slot. Rotation appears minimal; this is a set-it list, not a chef's-whim program.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley — null
Jordan consistently punches above its price point in the steakhouse context — structured enough for red meat, approachable enough that you don't need to baby-sit it through a full dinner. Of the California Cabs on this list, it tends to be the most fairly positioned relative to what you're actually getting in the glass.
Mer Soleil Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands
Most people beeline to Rombauer out of habit, but Mer Soleil's Santa Lucia Highlands bottling brings real coastal tension and restraint compared to the butter-bomb school. It's the Chardonnay on this list that actually wants to be with food, including that crab-crusted halibut.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Caymus is fine wine at a grocery store price. At a national steakhouse in Anchorage, you're paying a premium on top of an already inflated retail price for a bottle that's become more marketing than magic. The markup here is doing Caymus no favors.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 'Artemis' Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley + Dry-Aged Bone-In Ribeye
Artemis has the structure and dark fruit to stand up to the fat and char of a dry-aged ribeye without steamrolling it — it's got enough elegance to be interesting and enough backbone to mean business alongside red meat.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Sullivan's Anchorage is a dependable, well-staffed steakhouse wine program that plays it safe and prices accordingly — if you know which bottles to pick, you'll drink well; if you don't, the sommelier is there to help you avoid the obvious traps. Send a friend here for a big steak night, but tell them to skip the Caymus.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.